


Arrow through a Clover

by cloverlotus



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Barry Allen & Felicity Smoak Friendship, F/M, Hacker Felicity Smoak, Insecure Oliver, John Diggle & Felicity Smoak Friendship, Oliver & Felicity sex, Oliver Queen & Felicity Smoak friendship, Oliver vs Felicity, Protective Oliver, Vigilante Felicity Smoak, Vigilante relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2018-12-21 10:58:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11942697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloverlotus/pseuds/cloverlotus
Summary: By day, Felicity Smoak and Oliver Queen are employee and CEO. But by night, they are rival archers, who eventually begin a "masked relationship".





	1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Clover**

"Where is the Count?!" the Arrow growled, his voice deepened by the voice modulator. He had an arrow loaded in his bow, pointing at the low-life drug dealer, that he'd just caught pushing vertigo to underage kids. They were inside of a large, dim-lit basement, with a door on either end.

"If you wanna find him, you gotta get through me!" the man spat. Oliver released the Arrow into the man's shin, causing him to lose his balance and growl in pain.

"You and what army?" Oliver asked walking up to the man as he pulled another arrow from his quiver. Just then, ten other men surrounded them with guns.

"This army!" the drug dealer laughed as the sound of guns cocking echoed through the large space. In an instant, an arrow flew from above, disarming the men. They all turned to the direction it had come from. An archer jumped down from the vent in the somewhat low ceiling.

"Magnetic arrow," the woman said. She was dressed in all black: tight leather pants, knee high combat boots, a cropped top that stopped just above her navel and a black mask that just covered her eye area. For a moment, Oliver was mesmerized by her loose wavy blonde locks and bright fuchsia lipstick. The Arrow and the mystery archer simultaneously took out three men each with arrows.

"Wait! We'll tell you what you wanna know!" One of the men yelled out. Oliver pointed an arrow at him.

"I'm waiting," he growled. In unison, the remainder of the men popped a tiny blue tablet in their mouth, and began seizuring before going limp. "Dammit!" he growled, angered that he didn't get any information out of the men. Then he remembered the mystery archer that was still in his presence, and in a split second, pointed his arrow at at her.

"Do something nice for a guy and he points an arrow at you in return." the woman laughed. Oliver felt his anger rising as he remained silent, keeping his bow in position. "You know a thank you would've sufficed just fine."

"Thank you?!" He growled questioningly.

"You're welcome!" the woman replied cheerily.

"You. Got. In. My. Way!" He retorted, his voice rising at the last word.

"First off...Arrow? That's what you're calling yourself these days, right?" She started off. "You might as well lower the bow, we both know you're not gonna shoot me."

"Try me," Oliver aimed at her forearm and released the arrow, before loading up with a new one.

"Ow! Son of a bitch!" she yelped before yanking the arrow out of her arm. "I can't believe you shot me!"

"Who. Are. You?" He asked, advancing toward her, arrow aimed at her chest.

"Someone who saved your life, buddy!" the woman growled, now barely feeling the pain.

"I didn't need saving!" He yelled.

"Oh, please, these guys were about to turn you into swiss cheese and you know it!" She yelled back, now aiming one of her own arrows at him.

"Oliver, what's going on?" His partner, John Diggle asked over the comm.

"Nothing, just a pest problem." Oliver answered.

" _Pest_?! Well that's rude! You know what else is rude? Shooting someone who saved your life!" she laughed, shooting the bow out of his hands. She reloaded swiftly and shot the second arrow into his forearm. Oliver growled, feeling the pain of the arrow that had just gone through his arm. "Payback, asshole." She pointed another arrow at him.

Oliver was annoyed but intrigued by the woman.

"Get out of here before I change my mind," Oliver growled. The woman rolled her large blue eyes before backing away towards the door, still pointing her arrow at him.

"By the way, the name's Clover." she said before slipping through the door. Seconds later, Oliver could hear her pull off on a motorcycle.

**The Following Morning**

Felicity Smoak's wet feet padded down the hall of her apartment, from the bathroom to her bedroom. Clad in her bath towel, she gently wrapped a fresh bandage around her forearm, where the Arrow had shot her the night before

"So much for wearing short sleeves today." she muttered to herself, before standing and walking over to her bed. She had already laid out her clothes before her shower.

She slipped on the matching black bra and panties before slipping on an emerald green silky button up, only leaving the two top buttons open. She pulled on her knee length black pencil skirt, tucking her shirt in before zipping it up. Her phone began to ring, so she popped in the Bluetooth before answering.

"Hey, Laurel," she answered. Laurel was her first friend upon moving to Starling from Central City.

"Hey, Lissy, you better be awake and getting ready!" the woman responded.

"I'm already dressed, and please don't call me that _ever_ again." Felicity retorted, pulling her blond locks into a ponytail and sliding on her glasses.

"Good, open up, your hallway is hot as hell," Laurel laughed.

"Coming," Felicity responded before hanging up and going to open her apartment door. "Why do you always call when you're already here?"

"Relax, Grumpy, I come bearing coffee before your big interview." Laurel said, pushing the hot Starbucks cup into her hand.

"Bless your soul," Felicity smiled, stepping aside to let Laurel in.

"The place is looking beautiful, Lissy." she said looking around the somewhat furnished apartment.

"Yea, it's starting to feel like a home." she smiled, sitting her coffee on the counter and walking to her room with Laurel in tow.

"So, are you ready?" Laurel asked excitedly. Felicity slipped on her black heels.

"Are you kidding? This is a dream job, I hope they hire me." she said nervously, closing the clasp of her watch.

"Queen Consolidated contacted YOU for an interview. They're going to hire you." Laurel smiled. "You look great by the way."

"Thanks," Felicity smiled back.

"What made you go with the long sleeves instead of the peach peplum we were looking at yesterday?" Laurel asked curiously.

"I had a run in with the Arrow last night. I save they guy and he shoots me. Can you believe that?" Felicity asked, shaking her head and grabbing her car keys. The ladies grabbed their coffee and left the apartment.

"Unbelievable, that guy," Laurel replied, while Felicity locked up her apartment. "Tell me you got him back."

"Of course!" She laughed, leading Laurel to her car. "What time do you have to be at work Lawyer Lady?"

"I'm off today. I'm here for moral support all day," Laurel answered, slipping into the passenger side of Felicity's red mini. They drove in the direction of QC. Felicity let out a sigh. "What's up, Lis?"

"I don't know, just nervous, I have no reason to be nervous right? I mean I am an IT genius." Felicity stated as they pulled into the parking lot.

"Damn straight, you are! You fight bad guys, you can't be afraid of this!" Laurel smiled, leading her inside the large building.

Oliver Queen looked through the last file Walter Steele had given him. He was to interview three potential candidates to work at Queen Consolidated: two of which he'd already completed. His mother, Moira Queen, wanted him to take more interest in the company since it would eventually be his.

He'd only been back from Lian Yu for a year, but he felt like so much was being expected from him. He let out a sigh as he looked at the resume. Felicity Smoak: graduated the top of her class with a dual masters in Cyber Security and Computer Science from MIT. Just then, his office phone rang.

"Pamela?" He answered.

"Good morning, Mr. Queen, your 10 o'clock appointment is here." Pamela replied.

"Be right there," he said before hanging up. One more dramatically boring interview to lead. He left his office and walked into the large reception space.

"Ollie, hey!" Laurel called as he approached. Oliver gave her a quick hug.

"Good morning, Laurel." He replied, "And you must be Felicity Smoak, it's a pleasure." He extended a hand to the beautiful, nervous blond before him.

"It's great to meet you, Mr. Queen." She smiled, shaking his hand.

"Call me Oliver, Mr. Queen is my father." he smiled reassuringly.

"Yea, but he's dead," Felicity mentally face palmed herself when she heard the words fly out of his mouth. "I mean he drowned.. I mean.. I am so sorry, Mr. Queen, um, Oliver." she laughed nervously before finally releasing his hand. "I'm a... babbler."

"That's okay, Miss Smoak," he said, smile still in place.

"Well, I will wait out here, go get this genius interviewed, Ollie." Laurel smiled.

"Right, follow me," Oliver gestured."

* * *

Well, Miss Smoak," Oliver started.

"Just Felicity," she smiled.

"Felicity," he started up again with a smiled. "It's been a great pleasure meeting and interviewing you."

"Well you've been doing a lot of the pleasuring," she started causing his eyebrow to raise. "Not like that! I mean, you haven't been pleasuring me, obviously we're not sexually involved or anything, I just meant that you've been really...nice." she smiled nervously. "And I probably just lost any chance of working here."

"Not a chance, Felicity, this company needs you." Oliver said genuinely. "As for the 'pleasure talk', it'll be our little secret." He winked, jokingly.

"Oh-um... I-" she choked out blushing furiously.

"You're hired." He stated simply. "When can you start?"

"Whenever you need me to." She answered, finally returning to her normal color.

"Great, how's Monday?" he asked.

"Perfect," she smiled as Oliver pulled a small stack of paper from his desk.

"Okay, so this," he said revealing the thick packet and handing it to Felicity. "Is your employee handbook. Rules, regulations, salary information, job description, and a general map of the building is all here."

"Great," she smiled, flipping through it absentmindedly.

"This form, I need you to sign now. It just states that you understand the job you're here to do and will abide by all rules." He said handing her the lone form. She quickly ready through it before signing her name. Oliver stood and she followed suit. "Welcome to the Queen Consolidated family."

"Thank you, Mr. Queen, you won't regret it." Felicity smile, sharing his hand.

"Oliver," he corrected, "and I know."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *no, Diggle is not Oliver's body guard and this will be mentioned as to why in the future  
> *there has been no relationship between Oliver and Laurel  
> *drop any questions in the comments, I'll answer as fast as I can :)  
> *Happy Reading!!

**Chapter Two: You're Killing My Buzz**

"We should really start scoping out places for a lair." Laurel said before shoveling a spoon of rocky road into her mouth. Felicity sat next to her on carpet, in front of the sofa, with a pint of mint chocolate chip in hand.

"In case you forgot, I'm kinda broke," Felicity retorted, eating a scoop of her ice cream. "Lair maintenance is going to take money that I don't have right now. "

"Well lucky for you, you work at Queen Consolidated. And even better for you, the soon-to-be CEO is a good friend of mine." Laurel smiled, picking up her phone from the coffee table in front of them.

"What are you doing?" Felicity asked as she watched Laurel select a name from her contacts.

"You'll see," she said waiting as the phone rang. "Hey, Ollie!" Felicity's eyes widened. "Listen, I need a favor. Well, my friend and your employee does... do you think you can give her an advance on her paycheck?"

"Laurel!" Felicity hissed through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, she's right here, one sec." Laurel held the phone out to Felicity.

"I take back everything nice I've ever said about you!" Felicity hissed, snatching the phone. "Hey, Mr. Queen- I mean Oliver."

"Hey, Miss Smoak," Oliver started, smiling into the receiver at the sound of her voice. "What's up?"

"Umm... well.. it's okay to say no," Felicity started. "I mean I've only been working for you for a week, I have no right to ask for an advance, but see I'm still really new to Starling, and I really need the money because I have so much to pay for before next Friday, but I underst-"

"Felicity, just tell me how much you need." Oliver stated calmly.

"Umm..." she trailed off. She mouthed to Laurel, 'how much money?'

"Um, I dunno, ten grand?" Laurel suggested.

"TEN GRAND?! Felicity accidentally yelled out.

"Okay done," Oliver stated, causing Felicity's eyes to pop open. "Is that all Miss Smoak? "

"Oh! No, I- ten thousand dollars is way too much, I was just-"

"It's no big deal, Miss Smoak." Oliver said, smiling again.

"But, I'll be paying you back for the rest of my life, I cant-" Felicity urged.

"Consider it a sign on bonus for choosing Queen Consolidated over the other 57 companies that begged you to join them."

"I- Mr...Oliver I just-" Felicity trailed off. She's been working there a week, she can't take this kind of money.

"Do you need it today?" He asked.

"No, no, it can wait... till tomorrow. You can give it to me then-" Felicity scrunched her face, internally begging for a filter over that mind-of-its-own mouth of hers. "Not give it to me sexually, I wouldn't have sex with you in your office, or with you in general, or anyone else at work, not that your unattractive, cause you definitely are, and that was all so inappropriate, stopping in three. Two. One."

She shut her eyes tight and exhaled through her mouth. On the other end, Oliver smiled, while listening to the babbling blonde. He found her accidental sexual innuendos and babbling episodes to be one of her more charming characteristics. He hadn't genuinely smiled since he 'came back from the dead' but he couldn't help but smile every time he spoke to her.

"Come to my office at 1:30." he said.

"I don't... know what to say." Felicity smiled.

"Say you'll go to dinner with me and we'll call it even." Oliver squeezed his eyes shut as soon as the words left his mouth. This is an employee, he was crossing the line.

"O...kay," Felicity answered sheepishly, "just name the time and place."

"I'll let you know... see you tomorrow, Felicity." He smiled.

"Goodnight, Oliver." She said softly, before hanging up. Laurel stared at her, mouth gaping.

"Felicity Meghan Smoak, what just happened?" She demanded. Felicity blushed a bright shade of red.

"Oliver 'Playboy Billionaire' Queen just asked me to dinner?! I said yes! Why did I say yes?!" Felicity squealed nervously.

"You... you are a bad, bad girl!" Laurel laughed.

"No! I'm a good girl! I'm a very good girl!" Felicity argued. "I need a distraction."

"It's only 7:30, you wanna do some patrolling?" Laurel asked.

"Actually, before I ran into the Arrow last night, I got some info about a vertigo shipment tonight. I was already planning on going out." Felicity explained.

"You need to stop forgetting to tell me these things, Lis." Laurel said, looking pointedly at her friend.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've been doing this solo for three years, we've been doing this together for two weeks." Felicity responded, "I'm gonna get changed. You can stay here till I get back. I'll link my tablet to the traffic cams in the area, so you can use it."

"Got it, Clover!" Laurel smiled.

* * *

 

"We really need to invest in kevlar," Felicity stated over the comm. She was currently perched on the roof of an old warehouse overlooking the road.

"He's coming, Clover, " Laurel warned.

"Who?" Felicity asked.

"What are you doing here?" the Arrow's voice said from behind her.

"Oh, you've gotta be shitting me." Felicity muttered, standing and turning to face him. He was already pointing an arrow at her. "What are you gonna do? Shoot me again?"

"Maybe you should leave to avoid that." He growled. Felicity was immediately annoyed, and in just a second, had an arrow pointing back at him.

"Well I could say the same." She smiled.

"Brinks truck coming in hot from your 9 o'clock." Laurel said.

"Arrow, we got a truck at your 3." Diggle told Oliver at the same time. In a flash, both archers, not breaking eye contact, aimed an arrow at the truck's back tire, Felicity's arrow making contact just a millisecond before.

"Aww, one upped by a girl!" she laughed, leaping from the roof, Oliver hot on her tail.

They ran to either side of the truck, just in time to see the driver and passenger go limp.

"You should really stop getting in my way. Had you not been here-" Oliver started, before being cut off.

"They'd still be dead!" Felicity rolled her eyes before pulling the driver out of the truck and dropping his heavy body on the road. She stepped inside of the truck, while Oliver used an arrow to get into the back

Felicity examined the inside of the truck, looking for clues. She checked the glove compartment and found a small plastic bag with around ten tiny blue tablets inside. Oliver walked up just in time to see her stuffing them into her top.

"Get out. Of. The truck." He demanded, pointing an arrow at her. Felicity sighed, clearly annoyed.

"Make sure I don't forget my explosive arrows next time so I can blow this jackass off of his high horse." Felicity grumbled, causing Laurel to laugh.

"Sure thing, Clover." she responded.

"Don't make me tell you again!" He yelled.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Don't get your leather in a wedgie." she retorted, turning to get out of the truck.

"Slowly. And put your hands up." He growled, not breaking his aim.

"I'm not the criminal here," she said, hopping out of the truck and standing with less than an inch between her chest and the arrow pointing at her.

"Whatever you pocketed, hand it over." He demanded.

"Hmm... someone doesn't play well with others." Felicity joked. "What are you gonna do if I don't? You can shoot me, but we both know you're not a killer anymore." Oliver stared at her in silence, not breaking his poker face.

"This is my city. For you, I'll make an exception." he responded angrily.

"Oh?! This is your city?" She laughed, annoying him further. "I believe it's called Starling City, not Asshole Vigilante City." Oliver threw the bow and arrow to the ground and slammed her into the side of the truck, one hand wrapped around her throat.

"Don't hand it over." He grumbled through clenched teeth. "I'll take it myself." And with that he prepared to reach into her top and take it, but she sharply kneed his groin, causing him to drop to his knees.

"Sexual assault much!" She yelled, pointing an arrow at him. "If you wanted to know what it was, all you had to do was ask nicely." She started to walk away, when he yanked on her ankle causing her to lose her balance and fall, her arrows scattering on the ground. She rolled on to her back and threw her quiver on the ground. They both jumped up to their feet in an instant. He already had an arrow pointed at her.

"Why don't you put your weapon down and fight me like a man? I mean, if you have the balls." Felicity questioned, feeling a surge of confidence take over her. The nerve of her! He was already annoyed by this new archer invading his city and getting in his way, but now directly questioning his manhood? She was crossing the line.

"Yes! You tell him, girl!" Laurel yelled excitedly. "I mean, be careful."

"Don't worry, I can take him." Felicity said, not breaking eye contact. "He's just a wittle pussycat." She teased, causing him to toss his bow and quiver to the ground.

He advanced at her quickly, automatically throwing a right hook, that she dodged. He promptly went for a left and she blocked it, then, in the same second, turned slightly and jabbed her elbow in his stomach. He stumbled back a few steps.

"Come on, pussycat. Is that all you've got?" She laughed, fueling his fire. He ran at her, and she quickly dropped on one knee and flipped him over her shoulder. His back hit the ground with a thud.

"Wolfie, where are you guys with the shipment?" A voice said over the truck's radio. Felicity turned her back on the hooded archer and headed for the truck, before being tackled from behind.

"Wait!" she called out as they fell to the ground. Oliver rolled her onto her back and pinned her hands above her head.

"I'm getting really sick of you." He growled, his voice dripping with anger. Felicity maneuvered under him to flip them over. He lay on his back with her straddling him, two small, gloved hands wrapped around his throat. Oliver had to admit to himself that underneath his animosity, he was the slightest bit turned on by the leather clad blonde and their current position.

"Wolfie, what the fuck?! I swear if you guys are at the strip joint again, I'm gonna kill you before the Count does!" the same voice said over the radio.

"I told you to wait!" Felicity grumbled, climbing off of him, able to feel his slight hard on in the process. Oliver was beyond embarrassed, but he didn't dare show it. She stood over him and shook her head. "Typical fucking guy." She said, glaring at him. He released a sharp exhale before standing.

"Geez, I can hear the tension over the comm." Diggle laughed.

"You don't know the half of it." Oliver muttered.

"Hello?" Felicity said over the radio.

"Who the hell is this?" the voice asked, as Oliver walked up to the driver's side of the truck.

"Clover, duh!" she laughed.

"You again! Just wait til the Count is through with you." He laughed.

"I'm _counting_ on it! Get it? I'm counting on it? The Count?" Felicity laughed lightly. "Besides, Gary, I think he'll be a bit more mad at you if you don't come get this truckload of Vertigo. You have 10 minutes, or I'm lighting this bitch up."

"You fucking bitch!" He yelled.

"Bitch with a truck load of Vertigo." She retorted. "10 minutes!" She went to jump out of the truck, but Arrow held a hand out to her. She let him help her out and they stood close enough that if Felicity tip toed, they'd be kissing.

"You're good." He admitted. "But I went easy on you."

"Maybe some other time, we could go one on one." She said, her bright fuchsia lips curving into a smile over her perfect teeth.

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Oliver retorted quickly, creating a few feet if space between them. Felicity rolled her her large blue eyes.

"Whatever," she replied, collecting her fallen arrows and placing them back in her quiver. Oliver followed suit.

"Who was that on the radio? Sounds like you know him." He asked.

"Gary, he's like the vice president of their group. He's the only one who meets with the Count on a weekly basis. Gary's his right hand man." She answered.

"How many men do you think he's coming with?" He asked, hating that she had information that he didn't.

"Anywhere between 5 and 20. If you have reinforcements, specifically ones the can get here in 10 minutes or less, now is the time to call them." She said snapping on her quiver.

"Dig, we need you." Oliver stated.

"I heard, I'll be there in 5." he replied.

"Lissy! I mean Clover! When are you gonna train me?" Laurel whined.

"I'm not training you! Don't you think your dad's been through enough?" Felicity asked, referring to the death of Laurel's sister, Sara, from six years prior. Laurel sighed in response.

"Come on! You suck!" She whined.

"Quit whining or I'm shutting off my comm." Felicity growled. The second she saw a black Bentley pulling up, she drew her arrow.

"Reinforcements." Oliver stated simply. Diggle stepped out of the car, and walked towards them as Felicity lowered her bow and stuffed the arrow back into her quiver.

"Dig," he introduced himself.

"Clover," Felicity smiled, sticking out her hand for Diggle to shake. He accepted the invitation. "I like you already, Dig. Already so much nicer then this broody douche." Oliver glared at her. How could this girl be so annoying? "So, Dig, where's your mask?"

"I don't do costumes," he smiled.

"Ahh, too good for the mask and leather?" She joked, making Oliver roll his eyes.

"You've got company. Three black Sedans coming from your 12." Laurel said. Felicity turned around, as the men copied. 7 men stood before them, Gary was the biggest. He was a tall man, 6'4" and built as if he was on steroids.

"I call the big guy!" Felicity smile pointing her arrow at him.

"No, handle the guys on the left. I've got him." Oliver said, also loading up an arrow.

"Pfft, what are you? Team leader?" Felicity laughed then gunned it for Gary, who stood in the middle. Oliver sighed angrily, easily taking out two of the men before another one rushed to him.

He grabbed the man by his arm and flipped him onto the ground, his back smacking it with a sickening thud. He looked over and seen that Diggle had easily taken out two of the other three men and was working on the last while Clover was amidst a heated battle with Gary. Oliver shot an arrow into Gary's shoulder, making him beg for mercy on his knees as Oliver approached.

"Dammit Arrow! I had him!" Felicity yelled, turning to face him. "You're really killing my buzz!" In that instant Gary pulled out a knife and jammed it into the side of Felicity's right thigh. "Ahh! Fuck!" She yelled. Almost as if on instinct, Oliver shot two arrows into Gary's thigh.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Am I okay?! I have a four inch blade sticking out of my thigh right now because _you_ couldn't mind your own damn business! I told you that I had him!" Felicity growled, pulling the knife out of her leg.

"You're welcome," he growled back as Felicity limped away to the truck, the knife still in hand. She threw knife in her quiver and opened the back of the truck. She ripped open one of the large, clear bags that was holding countless mini ziplocs of Vertigo. She grabbed a handful of bags and stuffed them in her top.

"The rest of this," she said pointing her thumb at the truck. "Is your problem." She pulled out a grappling arrow to pull herself onto the building she was previously on top of and she disappeared.

"So..." Dig started. "Clover?"

"Fucking Clover." Oliver shook his head as they climbed into the Bentley.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: I'm Not Offering Sex for Money**

_Oliver felt like his head was spinning. He hated this woman, yet he found her so intoxicating. Still suited up in his arrow gear, mask and all, he slammed Clover up against the wall of the foundry, before smashing his lips against hers. His hands gripped her hips, still covered in leather and it was only a mere moment until they were both undressed, but still masked._

_"I hate you!" She growled through clenched teeth, as his lips attacked her neck, stubble brushing across her collar bone._

_"I hate you more," he muttered against her neck, before she flipped them, pushing him against the wall. Her plump, fuchsia lips kissed down his body, leaving a trail of lipstick. Oliver quickly grabbed her upper arms, pulling her lips back to his. Her hands grabbing at his short brown hair He lifted Clover so that her legs could wrap around his waist, then he put her back against the wall once more. He broke the kiss, trailing his lips down to her breasts._

_Clover threw her head back in pleasure, before whispering in his ear, "hurry up and fuck me, Arrow, I don't have all night." Then she gently bit on his earlobe, causing him to release a low growl. Holding her up with one hand, he used his other to guide his member into her tight, warm slit. The sound of the low moan she released, drove him wild. He didn't want to hear her moan._

_He wanted to hear her scream._

_Oliver closed his eyes and buried his face in her neck as he thrust into her. With every scream and moan that spilled from her lips, he could feel her walls tighten around him._

_"Prikhodi za mnoy [Russian for: 'come for me']." He whispered into her neck, feeling himself getting close. A high pitched moan escaped her fuchsia lips as he thrust harder._

_"Tol'ko dlya vas, strelka! [Russian for: Only for you, Arrow!]" She screamed out as he sucked on her neck and moved faster. "Ohhh Oliver!" She screamed as her orgasm hit her like a wave. His head snapped up instantly to look at her. How did Clover know his name? When he finally saw her face, Felicity was looking back down at him._

Oliver awakened with a gasp, covered in cool sweat. He looked around, noticing that he was still inside of his room in the Queen Manor. 'It was just a dream', he told himself. His brain was combining the woman he wanted most with the one he currently hated the most.

**Felicity's Apartment**

Felicity sat on the carpeted floor as soon as she stepped inside of her apartment, tossing her mask to the side. In an instant, Laurel came zooming out of the bedroom.

"Lis, are you okay? What hurts?" She asked kneeling down in front of Felicity, whose back was up against the door, as she breathed heavily.

"My thigh, this moron stabbed me!" She groaned, sliding her leather pants down to her knees, still seated. "Go grab the first aid from under the bathroom sink." Laurel nodded and headed for the bathroom. Felicity look down at the deep gash in her leg. It was about an inch long, a few inches below her hip.

"Who stabbed you? The Arrow?" Laurel asked, sitting in front of Felicity and opening the first aid kit.

"He might as well have, it was his fault." She replied, rolling her eyes. "Do you see a needle and thread in there?"

"Yea, but I can't do stiches, Lis, I've never done it, I don't wanna mess up." Laurel admitted.

"It's easy," Felicity smiled half-heartedly, grabbing the needle and thread from Laurel's hand. Within five minutes, she had already stitched her wound on her own. "Pass me the gauze and tape, please." Laurel did as told, and Felicity covered the scar.

"I need you to be more careful out there." Laurel started softly. "You've quickly become my closest friend. I don't wanna lose you."

"They don't call me Clover for nothing," she smiled, kicking off her boots and pulling her pants off, over her socks. She reached into her top and pulled out several small plastic bags.

"Felicity, what are those? You're not?" Laurel asked.

"They're not mine if that's what your asking." Felicity said, rolling her eyes. "This new mission that I haven't been telling you about-"

"The mission that has you bumping into the Arrow all of a sudden?" Laurel asked.

"Yeah.. the mission isn't so new. Anyways, these guys," Felicity said, showing Laurel the green circular tablet with a small 'v' indented into it. "Are called Vertigo 2.0. You remember the last the last time the Count was around? Before Arrow put him away?"

"Yeah, I wasn't even two weeks ago, but I do recall how mad you were that he caught the Count before you did."

"He was just _always_ a step ahead of me. I never ran into him then, but I would always get to my location and the guys I've come to question would already be dead. That's why I moved here. Starling needed me more than Central City. Barry and his team can handle the meta humans just fine without me. A whole new story would tell you the bigger reason I'm here." Felicity explained. Leaving Laurel confused. "But we'll talk about that some other time since we're getting slightly off topic. The point is that these pills are disorienting people, and just making them do shit that they shouldn't be, and then killing them. Like someone will rob a bank, and then they die from a brain aneurysm. Its so strange."

"What the hell?" Laurel muttered. "And what are those?" She asked, point at the tiny blue tablets.

"Every guy we try to question pops one of these bad boys. They have have a seizure and just die."

"What don't we know, that these guys would rather die, than tell us?" Laurel asked.

"I wish I knew." Felicity answered. "But I promise to tell you as soon as I find out. I'm gonna have Cisco and Caitlyn test these and see what they're made of. I won't have time to do it myself."

"Good." Laurel said, satisfied with Felicity's words. "You know, you actually never told me where the name Clover came from." Laurel replied, helping Felicity stand up and leading her to her bedroom. Once Felicity was comfortable in bed, she pulled off the leather top and tossed it on the floor. She changed into the t-shirt that Laurel handed her, then patted the space next to her on the bed.

"My mom used to call me her 'four leaf clover'. She used to be a waitress in a casino when we lived in Vegas. After my dad left, I would spend time in the casino while she worked during the summer. Anytime she won money, she'd always tell me it was because I brought her good luck. That I was her four leaf clover." Felicity smiled at the memories.

"What happened to her? You don't talk about her much." Laurel pushed, trying to get Felicity to open up.

"She was killed, in front of me when I was 12..." Felicity started.

*************  
 **FLASHBACK**

_"Happy birthday, honey." Donna Smoak smiled, kissing her now 12 year old daughter's cheek. Where did the time go? Felicity smiled up at her mom, before sitting up in the hotel bed. "I took off work today. I figured we could do something smart, sciencey, and potentially boring that you like so much." she joked._

_"We don't have to do anything you don't wanna do mom." The young brunette said. "I'm happy as long as I get to spend the day with you."_

_"I love you so much, baby girl." Donna said, tears welling up in her eyes. "It is so amazing watching you blossom into the incredible, intelligent young woman that you are. I know I don't say it enought, but I am so proud of you."_

_"Donna you have seven seconds to open this door before I break it down!" A voice yelled from the hallway._

_"Mom, who's-" Felicity started off in a whisper._

_"Under the bed, now!" Her mother whispered back urgently. Without asking questions, Felicity hid underneath the bed that she and her mother shared._

_"3..2..1!" The voice yelled followed by the door breaking open._

_"Mr. Merlyn, I-" Donna started._

_"You know, I hadn't planned on visiting Las Vegas until next month. But when I heard that you and the kid were here... well I just couldn't refuse." The voice said._

_"Malcolm, please, I'll get your money!" Felicity watched from under the bed as a pair of black dress shoes approached her mom's bare feet._

_"Donna...Donna, Donna, Donna. What are you gonna do? Pull twenty grand from your plastic tits?" He asked standing toe to toe with her. "You know, Merlyn Global is doing really well right now. I'm not upset because I'll miss the money."_

_"Then why-"_

_"It's the principle of it, Donna. What if I borrowed your precious Felicity, and not return her? You wouldn't like that, would you?"_

_"Malcolm, please!" Felicity's mother cried, at the sound of a gun cocking. Felicity bit down on her bottom lip to keep from sobbing._

_"Where's the little genius, Donna, I know she's here."_

_"She's at her aunt's for her birthday, I'm alone, I swear!"_

_"Tommy, check the room." Malcolm demanded._

_"Yes, dad." Tommy answered. Felicity watched as a pair of black sneakers moved around the room, checking the bathroom and closet. "I don't think she's here, dad."_

_"Look under the bed." Malcolm demanded. Tommy did as told, and Felicity felt herself shaking, as she braced herself. Tommy peered under the bed and made eye contact with her. He was young, probably 14 or 15 years old. She could see the remorse in his eyes and he could see the fear in hers._

_"Please," she mouthed to him._

_"Nope, she's not here, dad." Tommy said, now standing._

_"You know, despite what they say, I have a heart, Donna." Malcolm stated. "I would never kill a mother in front of her child, but lucky for me, your kid's not here." The gunshot sounded and Felicity watched as her mom's body crumbled to the floor. She had to clasp a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. The second Malcolm and Tommy left, Felicity crawled out from under the bed._

_"Mom, get up, mom, please!" she cried, cradling her mother's head in her lap. What felt like hours later, two cops came into the room, followed by hotel security. "He killed her. He killed my mom!" She cried, as the woman cop pulled her shaking body into her arm._

_"Did you see who did this?" The cop asked. Felicity shook her head 'no'. "Did you hear any names?" She shook her head again. But the name Malcolm Merlyn will be burned into her brain until her mother's death was avenged._

**Present Day**

"Felicity, I am so sorry, honey." Laurel said, hugging her friend close. "This is why you have a personal vendetta again him." She said, more of a realization than a question. "When did you find out he was here?"

"The next day I looked up Merlyn Global and found out that it was here. After I graduated from MIT, I traveled for a while. When I was in Japan, I met a woman named Tatsu Yamashiro. I lived with her for a year. She trained me in combat and blades of all kind, but mostly the Japanese Katana. She told me that she'd lost her husband and son. Her story was... _heartbreaking_.

"I remember getting so frustrated because no matter how good I got, I was never as good as Tatsu with the Katana. She told me that everything takes practice, but I had to find my true calling to become a master. She told me about an American man she'd met before she lost her son and husband. He was an incredible archer. The best she'd ever seen. So I tried my hand at it and I was actually really good. She said that I may have been even better than her old friend."

Felicity smiled, remembering Tatsu. She had truly missed her.

"She sounds amazing. What happened to her?" Laurel asked.

"Well, as far as I know, she's still alive. Her son unfortunately passed away, but she was searching for her husband, Maseo... I hope she found him and I hope they're happy."

"Me too," Laurel smiled as her friend yawned. "One more question: if you became a Clover to avenge your mom's death, then why are you dealing with metahumans and guys like the Count?"

"I have the skills so why not use them to make the world a better place? That's always been my life goal: make the world better." Laurel debated telling Felicity that she knows Malcolm personally, and knew Tommy before he'd passed away. But now wasn't the time.

"Let's get you to bed. You have ten grand to pick up and a hot date to arrange!"

"Remind me why I said yes," Felicity groaned, earning a chuckled out of Laurel.

"Because you haven't gotten laid since college!" She laughed as Felicity glared at her.

"I hate you, get out of my apartment!"

"Jokes on you because I'm staying here tonight." Laurel smiled.

"Well, I hope you have no more jokes or you're sleeping on the floor." Felicity teased.

**The Following Day**

"Good afternoon Pam," Felicity smiled at the receptionist.

"Hey, Felicity. Mr. Queen said he was expecting you. You can go right in." The redhead smiled at her. Due to unfortunate circumstances Felicity opted for pants that day. She didn't need any visible blood leaking from her wound. She wore black skinny slacks, fuchsia pumps, and a sleeveless, white silk top, with a lace collar. She'd kept her hair in its usual ponytail and wore her glasses. She walked to Oliver's office, heart beating a mile a minute.

"Miss Smoak," Oliver greeted, with a bright smile.

"Mr. Queen," she greeted back.

"Close the door and come have a seat, please." He requested and she followed. As she walked towards the chair, she noticed him looking her up and down and when he caught sight of her heels, he bit his bottom lip for just a second. Was he checking her out? Noooo, no way... but it totally looked like he was checking her out. She sat down across from him. "So beautiful," he said, barely above a whisper. As if on cue, Felicity blushed a bright shade of pink.

"I believe there was something you wanted to talk to me about, Mr. Queen."

"Right," he smiled pulling out a blue folder and handing it to her. She took it from him cautiously and opened it. There was the check written out to her for $10,000 and a single sheet of computer paper. Scrawled across it in red pen was, 'Dinner tonight, your place or mine?'. She stared at the paper, blankly. "I'm sorry, would you prefer cash over the check?"

"Ummm... yea," she said, swallowing and finally looking up at him. "It'll be better to avoid a paper trail, you know. I don't want someone to find out you wrote me a check this big and think I'm sleeping with you or something. Not that I wouldn't sleep with you, you're very attractive, but-"

"You're absolutely right," he stated, biting back a laugh, while grabbing the check as she passed it. "I hope I didn't offend you."

"No, no, it's fine." She smiled lightly, grateful for him ending her embarrassing babble. "Um, Oliver?"

"Yes, Felicity?" He replied.

"Why would dinner be at one of our places? I mean, no offense, but we haven't known each other very long, and..." she trailed off.

"Just to avoid the press seeing us out together and making assumptions. I don't want you to be uncomfortable though. Invite Laurel, that way I don't feel guilty about being your soon-to-be boss and asking you on a date."

"Right," she laughed nervously. "Umm... my place, and I'll invite Laurel." He gave her a small smile, genuinely overzealous that she hadn't changed her mind about dinner.

"So, get my number from Laurel and text me your address and what time to be there." He smiled. "I'll bring cash this time." He smiled.

"Thank you, by the way. Just tell me how to repay you. Anything you want, I mean not _anything_ \- anything, like I'm not offering sex for money, I'm not a prostitute, and oh dear Google, why haven't you stopped me yet?" Felicity babbled slightly before clapping a hand over her mouth and counted down from 3 in her head. "Please don't fire me." Oliver just smiled.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He couldn't unlock his eyes from hers until the office phone rang. "Oliver Queen," he answered.

"Mr. Queen? Mr. Steele is requesting to see Felicity in his office. He's says it's urgent." Pamela said.

"Thank you, Pamela, I'll send her over." He replied before hanging up and looking up at Felicity. "Walter Steele would like to see you in his office. But I'll see you tonight."

"Yes, and Laurel," she smiled, standing to leave. "See you tonight, Mr. Queen." As she turned around, she saw a dark haired man, dressed in a ridiculously expensive suit, step into the office.

"Oliver, I need a word with you." He said. Felicity noticed that Oliver tensed up, his happy mood completely gone.

"Sure," he replied, standing to escort Felicity out of the office.

"Malcolm Merlyn." The man introduced himself, sticking his hand out to Felicity. She stared at it blankly and looked up at him.

"Of course, I know who you are." She said with a fake smile. She got a death grip on his hand and shook it. "Felicity Smoak."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you guys think about Felicity's past? And what about Oliver's dream about Clover and Felicity? And what about Malcolm Merlyn?! Read and comment please! Thank you to everyone who've read and/or commented thus far. In the next chapter, we'll see an... interesting dinner and another Arrow/Clover interaction.
> 
> xoxo cloverlotus


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Ouch, Pussycat**!

"Malcolm Merlyn." The man introduced himself, sticking his hand out to Felicity. She stared at it blankly and looked up at him.

"Of course, I know who you are." She said with a smile. She got a death grip on his hand and shook it. "Felicity Smoak."

"Oh! Wow, my have you grown!" Malcolm said, with a fake smile of his own. "How's your mom? Donna, right?" Felicity glared at the man before her. The absolute nerve of him.

"She passed away unfortunately," Felicity said, playing along. Oliver put a hand on her lower back.

"I'm so sorry, Felicity." He responded, gently.

"They never found the guy who killed her, but I did. I'll make sure he's brought to justice." She said, still eyeballing Malcolm.

"Well, I wish you the _best_ of luck with that." Malcolm retorted in his most sincere voice. Oliver could easily sense the tension between the two, but before he could say anything, Felicity spoke up.

"Well, I'd better go see Mr. Steele, but very nice to see you again, Malcolm." She said before walking out.

**[Felicity's POV]**

Malcolm _fucking_ Merlyn.

This was my first time seeing his face in person, and his smug look was enough to tell me that I was going to kill him. He didn't deserve prison, he deserved a slow painful death.

I walked to Mr. Steele's office, trying to shake my violent thoughts away, but Malcolm plagued my mind. I put on my best poker face before knocking on the door as I pushed it open.

"Miss Smoak!" He greeted, his accent heavy. "It's so great to see you again. Please, have a seat."

"It's very nice to see you again, Mr. Steele. And please, just Felicity." I smiled warmly, taking the seat across from him as he sat behind his desk.

I'd originally met Walter Steele at a 'Career Day' in college. He was smitten with my skills and sold me on Queen Consolidated. It was a perfect opportunity considering it's in the same city as Merlyn Global. We'd only spoken a handful of times since then.

"Felicity, I was hoping you could help me with something outside of work." He began warily.

"Of course, Mr. Steele. Whatever you need." I replied, my curiosity sparking.

"My wife made an investment... A large sum of money and apparently it failed." He explained, leaving me confused as to what my part would be in this.

"With all due respect, Mr. Steele, I'm not exactly a marriage counselor or banker." I smiled, apologetically.

"Of course not, Miss Smoak." He smiled back.

"So, what exactly is going on?" I asked, cautiously, my eyes squinting in uber curiosity.

"A variance of 2.6 million dollars on a failed investment from three years ago. It was authorized by my wife. I was hoping you could find out some of the details of the transaction for me." He replied, his tone instantly more serious.

"Mhmm.." I hummed. "And by find out you mean..."

"Dig up... Discretely." He said quickly, his piercing eyes boring into mine. I nodded understandingly. Considering my night job, I know all about being discrete.

"I'm your girl?" I smiled, before my brain yelled out for me to backtrack. "I mean, I’m not your girl, I wasn’t making a pass at you..." I trailed of nervously.  _Come on, Smoak, get it together._

"I understand that this isn't your job, but I am prepared to offer you a stipend for this." 

"That's quite alright, Mr. Steele. You've already set me up with an amazing job. That's enough for me." I told him as he handed me a folded piece of paper.

"I greatly appreciate that, Miss Smoak. If there's ever anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask. This paper includes the account information. I know it's not much to go off of-"

"I'm sure I can handle it, Mr. Steele." I said, reassuringly. I mean, not to toot my own horn, but I am a technological genius. "I'll get back to you the moment I have something."

"Thank you so very much," he smiled, but I could see the worry in his eyes. We said our goodbyes before I headed back down to the IT Department. Boy did I have a long day ahead of me. Once safely in my cubicle, I unfolded the paper he gave to me, unprepared to see the name on it:

Moira Queen.

Apparently this is common knowledge, but I've always been too busy with my extracurricular activities to focus on much else.

When I got home, I had many things on my mind, but one thing was weighing on me the heaviest. Malcolm Merlyn. How did he and Oliver know each other? I needed answers and I needed them now. I also needed to keep Laurel out of the loop on this one, I didn't want her to try and talk me out of going.

Clover was going to pay a visit to Oliver Queen.

**[Oliver's POV]**

It was already 7:30pm and Queen Consolidated was mostly empty. I returned to my office to pick up the manilla folder Malcolm gave to me earlier. His words were burned in my brain, but I still didn't want to open the folder.

"If you don't want to believe me then fine, but the facts are all here, Oliver. You deserve to know what kind of man your father really was."

I shook away my thoughts and pulled open my desk drawer the contained the file. At least I had dinner with Felicity to look forward to tonight. I turned to look out of the large window. I always found peace looking over the city, then it would be shattered by the memory that the Count was back on the streets. I could sense a presence behind me before I heard my office door close. I turned around and there she was.

"Hello, Mr. Queen." She said, her voice modulator distorting her normal voice. In an instant, I forgot what her voice sounded like.

"Clover? What are you doing here?" I asked cautiously.

"I'm glad to see that you already know who I am." She smiled, sending my mind into a frenzy at the sight of her signature fuchsia lips

"Well, you've been all over the news." I replied. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually, yes, Mr. Queen, you can." She started off, approaching me with her bow in hand. "Tommy Merlyn. Where do I find him?"

I felt the pain in my chest as soon as I heard the name. Tommy Merlyn. My best friend since childhood, who took his own life before I had returned to Starling. I snapped out of my thoughts when Clover sighed and pointed an arrow at me.

"Mr. Queen.. you know that pretty little blonde that you've been spending so much time with? Oh, what's her name...Felicity Smoak, right?" Clearly the woman had been keeping tabs on me, and I took a moment to wonder if she knows that I'm the Arrow.

"Leave her out of this." I growled, feeling a sense of protectiveness wash over me. "You can threaten me all you want, but if you touch a single hair on Felicity's head-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Yeah, I don't have all time in the world." She snapped. "I suggest you get talking. Tommy Merlyn. Give me an address." I released a shaky breath, curious as to why she was looking for my dead best friend.

"He's dead." I told her. I saw her mouth fall open just a bit, before she tightly pursed her lips. I can see the pain in her bright blue eyes. How did she know Tommy?

"How... when did he..." she trailed off.

"Lower your bow and I'll be happy to answer all of your questions." I said, sternly. She slowly put her weapon on the floor. "He committed suicide in 2009." I said, feeling as though I didn't believe my own words. Even with her mask, I could see the hurt on her face. She quickly collected herself and picked up her bow.

"Tell me where I can find Malcolm Merlyn." She demanded. What the hell was her obsession with the Merlyn family?

"Why?" I asked simply. She cocked her head at me before aiming her arrow.

"Because _I'm_ the one ready to shoot an arrow through your chest." She answered through clenched teeth.

"Well I suggest you visit his company and make an appointment." She took a deep breath as if trying to contain herself.

"Mr. Queen, I can count on two hands how many people I've killed. I don't wanna have to count you in that number." She pulled a small black burner phone from the waist line of her tight leather pants. I found myself unable to tear my eyes off of her hips and the way her pants hugged them. "When you're ready to talk and give me the answers I need, give me a call."

And just so quickly as she appeared, she was gone.

**DINNER AT FELICITY'S**

"Felicity, are you dressed yet? I'm done cooking!" Laurel called out. Felicity came to the kitchen, still wrapped in her towel. She had a fresh bandage wrapped around her thigh.

"I don't know what to wear, but I need something to cover this ugly thing," she said, pointing at the dark, mark on her arm from when the Arrow had shot her.

"Eww.. I mean no offense, Lis, but _eww_." Laurel teased, earning an eye roll from her friend. She took Felicity by the hand and led her to her bedroom. "Where are all of your 'good dresses'?" Felicity opened her closet, giving Laurel a chance to rummage through it. "This one, try it on. No underwear because this dress will definitely show a panty line. And if you get lucky tonight... well you're a big girl, I don't need to explain." Felicity squinted as her friend.

"I am _not_ going to sleep with Oliver," she said, putting her back to her friend. She removed her towel and pulled the dress over her head. It was a deep purple, velvet, long sleeve dress- just long enough to cover the bandage on her thigh. It stopped about three inches above her knees, hugging her curves tightly, with a 'V' shaped opened back that stopped right above her tailbone. "How do I look?" She asked.

"Amazeballs," Laurel started, "now take off those glasses and put in your contacts. I'll pin up your hair for you." Felicity did as told before Laurel handed her a 4 inch high pair of gold strappy heels and gold hoops. After she put them on, Laurel quickly pulled Felicity's hair into an updo and applied light makeup and red lipstick. "I know Oliver Queen and the second he sees you in this, he's going to have a heart attack. You look so good, hun."

"Thanks, you did all of the work." She smiled back as the door bell rang. "Speak of the devil," Felicity moved to leave her room.

"I'll get the door, you need to make a grand entrance once he's already inside." Laurel said, rushing out of the room. Felicity stood in her room, with a sudden case of the shakes. Why was she so nervous? "Oliver hey! Felicity will be out in a minute. Sit, I'll go check on her." When Laurel returned, Felicity was typing furiously on her tablet. "I thought we agreed to no distractions tonight." She whispered.

"I know, but in the event that I get a chance to catch the Count tonight, I need my tablet to alert me." She said, syncing the tablet to the smart watch she'd gotten from one of her old MIT friends, Ray Palmer. "My watch will vibrate if anything comes up."

"Good, now let's go," Laurel said, grabbing Felicity's hand and practicality dragging her out of her room. Oliver was sitting at the kitchen island, and he stood the moment he saw her.

"Wow," he breathed, taking in the blonde's appearance. The short dress paired with the heels made her legs appear to go on forever, and Oliver couldn't take his eyes off of them. "Felicity," he smiled, finally looking into her eyes and noticing how blue they were without her glasses. "You look... incredible."

"Thank you," she blushed, looking down at her feet. "You don't look too bad yourself." He smiled and walked over to give her a quick hug, that she reciprocated. As his arms wrapped around her, he felt her smooth, bare back underneath his fingers, sending a jolt of electricity down his spine.

"I brought wine," he smiled, putting some space in between them.

"I totally forgot, I have some time sensitive cases to look through for work." Laurel said suddenly, causing Felicity's eyes to almost pop out of her head. "But enjoy the pasta and wine." She then whispered to Felicity, "If something comes up and you need me, send me an sos from your watch."

"Okay," Felicity nodded, feeling her stomach twist in knots as she walked her friend to the door. "Let me know when you make it home," she said, hugging her and then whispering, "I hate you", making Laurel smile. She peered over Felicity's shoulder.

"It was good seeing you again, Ollie!" She waved.

"You too, Laurel," he waved back before Felicity closed the door and turned to face Oliver. Tonight was going to be interesting.

**TWO HOURS LATER**

The pair had already finished dinner but were still drinking the wine. Felicity had long since abandoned her heels and had her feet up on the coffee table while they sat on the couch.

"You know, I was worried that you were going to cancel on me." Oliver admitted.

"Who would cancel on you? Have you seen yourself?" She smiled boldly, the wine washing away her nerves. She felt like a ball of confidence. She wasn't drunk by a long shot, but she was definitely buzzed. "I was surprised when you asked me to dinner."

"Who wouldn't ask you to dinner? Have you seen yourself?" He retorted, causing her to beam a radiant smile at him.

"Seeing the women you've been in the tabloids with, it seems like you're more into the 'leggy model' type. Not the babbling IT girl." She answered. Oliver, gently brushed a stray hair behind her ear and she looked up at him through dark lashes, making his heart skip a beat. His hand played with the hair at the nape of her neck.

"First off, your legs are _incredible_ , in case you haven't noticed," he smiled. "And second, you're the perfect combination of beauty and intelligence. Don't ever doubt that." He ended on a low raspy whisper, staring straight into her blue eyes.

She chewed on her bottom lip and his eyes trailed down to her mouth. He slowly leaned in and stopped with his lips hovering over hers, to let her close the space. She tipped her head up and caught his lips in a slow, sensual kiss. It was about five seconds of bliss until her watch vibrated. She slowly pulled away before biting her lip and smiling at him.

"Excuse me for a minute," she said, her voice raspier than ever. She stood and walked to her room, closing the door behind her. She had just kissed Oliver Queen...and it was amazing, never mind that she'd pointed an arrow at him just hours before. She had no intentions of causing him harm.

She picked up her tablet from the bed. The traffic cameras had picked up visuals of some of the Count's men. She sent an SOS to Laurel and headed to the living room to see Oliver standing.

"I hate to kiss and ditch," he started, putting his phone in his pocket. "But my little sister needs me to pick her up from a party." Felicity was thankful for this since she couldn't think up an excuse to kick him out.

"It's no problem, really." She smiled walking him to the door and opening it. "I had fun tonight."

"Me too, we should do this again soon." He smiled back and Felicity nodded in agreement. "Goodnight beautiful." He said before pressing his lips to hers once more and taking off. Once she closed the door, she quickly stripped out of her dress and suited up. She swapped out her red lips for fuchsia ones and put on the blonde wig, that was significantly longer than her own hair.

Felicity parked her motorcycle, a black, sleek Harley Davidson, in front of the warehouse. It was already pushing midnight so she opted to go in through the front. As soon as she reached for the door, she heard a motorcycle coming up behind her. Already knowing who it was, she was instantly annoyed.

"Are you stalking me or something?" She hissed, turning to face the Arrow.

"I should be asking you the same question." he replied hopping off of his Ducati. "You shouldn't be here." She rolled her eyes, feeling the desire to put an arrow in his eye.

"What are you, my dad?" She asked, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "I may be wrong but I'm pretty sure my father left a long time ago."

"No wonder you're out here looking for attention. Just another little girl, with daddy issues, looking for trouble." He smirked.

"Oh, shut the _fuck_ up, pussycat. You're just mad that a girl is outdoing you." She retorted, watching his mouth twist into an angry frown. "Just stay out of my way in there." Before he could respond, she kicked the door open and stepped inside.

"You need to learn to think before you act." He said, following her into the seemingly empty warehouse.

"You need to learn to worry about yourself." She said back, glaring at the hooded archer speaking over the comm. "Overwatch, is there anything I need to look out for in here?"

" _Nope, but the x-ray feature thingy on your tablet is showing something in the shipping containers_." Laurel replied. " _BTW, thanks for finally nicknaming me."_

_"_ Well of course, we couldn't risk Asshole McGee here knowing your name." She smiled tauntingly, causing him to roll his eyes at her.

"You're such a bitch, Clover." He snarled.

"Ouch, pussycat! You really know how to hurt a girl's feelings!" She pouted, feigning sadness. Oliver was already annoyed, but was more annoyed by Diggle laughing over the comm.

" _Damn, Pussycat, you're gonna let her keep talking to you like that?"_ He laughed.

"Shut it, Dig." He growled causing Diggle to laugh harder.

" _Okay, okay, I'm done."_ Dig replied, catching his breath.

"Now do you wanna keep being a broody baby, or do you wanna actually make yourself useful?" She taunted, walking over to the shipping containers in the corner.

Oliver decided she wasn't worth the argument, yet couldn't help but stare at her small waist and round ass as she walked away from him. After a moment he followed her to see what was inside the containers. There were four stacks of containers, three in each stack. She pulled down the first one and opened it slowly.

"Holy mother of archery," she whispered, scrunching her face as Oliver came up behind her.

"What is it?" He asked, detecting a putrid, familiar smell.

"A basket of roses," she said sarcastically. "What does it look like? It's body parts." She finished with a shake of her head, and a look of disgust. The large container was filled with numerous severed hands, arms, and legs.

" _Body parts? Like, detached from a body?_ " Laurel asked with disgust.

"Yes, babe, unless you know another way to get body parts." Felicity started. "The real question is who do they belong to..." she trailed off as the Arrow checked the other containers.

"They're all the same thing." He said not looking at her. Even though Clover wasn't aware that he was Oliver Queen, he was still annoyed by her showing up at his office earlier that night. She let out a sigh of annoyance and pulled a burner phone out of her waist band.

"Flash? It's Clover, I need a favor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hell yes.
> 
> There WILL be a Flash AND Barry Allen cameo in the next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I just want to address some important points to this story:  
> 1\. No, the Arrow and Flash have never met, they only know of each other  
> 2\. The only people in Starling that know the Flash's identity are Felicity and Laurel  
> 3\. The undertaking has not happened yet, but Tommy's death will be further investigated way down the line.  
> 4\. Laurel and Oliver were never together. Oliver was with Samantha, (William's mother), but took Sara on the Queens Gambit, *that's a story for another time*

**Chapter 5: Can We Talk? Vigilante to Vigilante?**

_The Arrow watched as Clover rocked her hips against him. They were in a dark alleyway, and as Oliver's dreams always went, they were masked. His back was against the cold ground as she straddled him, throwing her head back in pleasure._

_He grabbed her hips, his fingers digging into her sides, and he matched her movements with thrusts of his own._

_"C'mon, pussycat," she moaned, leaning forward to his face but still rocking her hips. "Show me what you've got," she whispered against his mouth before capturing his bottom lip between her teeth._

_He hated her... with a passion. But somehow he couldn't resist her. He flipped them over so that he was on top, her back smacking the concrete with a small thud. He roughly grabbed her legs, holding them up as he pounded into her, holding nothing back._

_"Harder, Arrow! I know you can do better than that!" She yelled, loud moans escaping her lips and echoing in the darkness._

_"Shut up," he growled as he gripped her thighs and pounded harder. He relished in the feeling of her walls clenching around him as her legs shook._

_"Oliveeeeeerr!" Her sweet voice yelled. He looked up, finding Felicity's face instead of Clover's and he slowed down. He allowed her legs to wrap around his waist and leaned down to kiss her lips. When he broke the kiss, Clover's face was back. A bright red streak flew by, and in an instant, she was gone._

Oliver awakened in cold sweat, just as he had every night for the last week. But this dream was different. The Flash, made an appearance this time. Oliver's mind drifted back to the night before, where he had met the Flash.

**THE NIGHT BEFORE**

"Flash? It's Clover, I need a favor."

" _Where are you?_ " Barry Allen asked. " _And why are you talking with our pseudonyms?"_

"I'll send you my location and I'm here with the Arrow." Clover explained.

" _WHAT?! That is so sick! He's like a legend of vigilantism! You didn't tell me you guys were friends."_

"Eww, we're not friends. He's just stalking me." Clover replied instantly, causing Oliver's eyes to roll with annoyance. He wondered how she knew the Flash and what help she needed from him. He watched as Clover hung up her phone and sent a quick text, before sticking it back into her waist band.

"What do we need him for?" He asked, feeling just a slight pang of jealousy.

"Well if you must know, he has resources to find out whose body parts these are." She said as a red streak flew towards them, stopping next to her.

"You know, normal friends reunite over lunch or a cup of coffee... not severed arms and legs." The Flash joked before turning to Arrow, excitement dancing in his eyes. "It's so awesome to meet you finally. I've heard so much about you, I'm a big fan." He smiled, sticking out his hand to shake. Arrow stared at his hand and then looked back to Clover.

"You called a kid?" He asked, appearing to be annoyed.

"Hey I'm twenty-" Flash started.

"He's not a kid." Clover retorted. "And he'll be much more useful than you. You couldn't even keep the Count off of the streets."

Oliver would never let go off that. He knew she was right, though he wouldn't dare admit it. He had stopped killing after a conversation with Diggle. He wanted to make the city better, but Dig reminded him that killing these wrong-doers didn't make him any better than them. It took a while before Oliver finally agreed to that and it had been about two months since he had killed someone. He opted not to kill Count Vertigo, but to turn him in. Now more people were dying as a result.

"He's my problem, so let me deal with him. Starling already has a vigilante, so go back to wherever you came from." Arrow said, closing the shipping containers back.

"Well, I can assure you that I'll actually handle him, unlike you, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Broody." Clover said, with a pat on his back, sticking a small tracker on him.

"You two sound like you have some unresolved... issues." He said, glancing between Clover and the Arrow.

"I didn't call you to play counselor," she started with a smirk. "I need you to bring these containers to the lab and have our friends run a DNA analysis to find out who these limbs belong to."

"Yea, no problem. But I'm curious... I know you know how to do that, already, why do you need us?" Flash asked, referring to his team back at Star Labs.

"Because I have a lot going on right now, I'm just not going to be able to get it done in a timely manner." She answered, honestly. She was swamped. Between her day job, investigating Oliver Queen's mother, dealing with Malcolm Merlyn, and being a vigilante, she just didn't have the time.

She could feel the Arrow looking at her and the warehouse was filled with a deafening silence. Barry searched his friend's eyes, making a mental note to have an actually heart to heart with her. They hadn't talked much since she'd left Central City.

"Clover, you're one of my best friends. I know that now isn't the time," he started, glancing at Arrow, who silently watched the exchange between the two. He put a hand on her shoulder and contunued, "but anytime you need to talk, you know... just to get anything off of your chest, I'll be here in a flash." He smiled, glad that he could get a small smile out of her. "Alright, well I'm going to run these containers to the lab. I'll give you a call as soon as we have something."

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

Felicity returned home, thankful to not have acquired any new injuries. Laurel had to leave while Felicity was on her way back. She felt bad about keeping her friend up so late all the time, knowing that Laurel had an important job as an attorney. She kicked off her boots and tossed her wig and mask onto the sofa.

"Hey," Barry said softly. She jumped, startled by his voice and looked towards the kitchen. He was sitting at the island with two steamy mugs of coffee.

"You scared the shit out of me, Barry!" She exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"After seeing you earlier tonight, I could tell you were dealing with something. I know we haven't really spoken since you moved here but I'm still your friend, Felicity." She nodded, somewhat grateful to have her friend there. He knew her better than anyone and she missed confiding in him.

"I have a bit of research to do... do you mind if we talk while I do it?" She asked, feeling guilty about not offering him her undivided attention.

"As long as we're talking," he smiled.

"Okay, give me a minute to get changed." She said heading to her room. She pulled on a pair of black yoga pants and a oversized t-shirt. She went in the bathroom and washed her face before pulling her hair into a messy bun on top of her head. She decided to brush her teeth a little later so the toothpaste wouldn't affect the taste of her coffee.

Felicity approached the kitchen, signalling for Barry to follow her to the living room. She pulled an extra chair from the kitchen and sat it next to hers in front of the computer. She and Barry sat in front of the screen and he placed the coffee mugs on the small table, a few inches away from the computer desk.

"So, what are we researching?" he asked.

"I'm just looking into something for my boss." She said, her fingers striking the keys with a speed as though _she_ was the Flash. It was already after one in the morning, and regardless of the very eventful day she had, Felicity wasn't the slightest bit tired.

"So, I believe we agreed to talking while you do your research." Barry pushed. Felicity released a soft sigh.

"I found Malcolm... or he unintentionally found me." She started it. "I'm a tech wiz and all of these years of searching, I couldn't find a home address for him. Like he covered it up really well." She said, as she continued typing, then scrolled through a page of information. "It was common knowledge that he was in Starling so that really should have narrowed it down but..." She trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders, her attention still on the screen.

"I still don't understand why you didn't just go to his office and beat the crap out of him." Barry replied.

"Because Clover couldn't just waltz into Merlyn Global-"

"But Felicity Smoak could have." He interrupted.

"Barry... I'm going to _kill_ him." She said softly, her fingers dropping from the keyboard as she avoided his gaze.

"Felicity, you don't have to-"

"I've been trying to convince myself that I didn't have to do it," she started. "But... when I saw him walk into Oliver Queen's office... he asked me about my _mom_ , Barry. He had such a smug look on his face and... it's like he was trying to rub my mom's death in my face."

"I'm sorry, Felicity." He said softly, as she collected herself and went back to typing. 

"It's fine." She stated, her voice monotone. "Karma's a cold-hearted bitch, and I'm about to do her dirty work. Malcolm will get what's coming to him."

Barry nodded in agreement before speaking up, "you know I'm more than willing to help you with this... you know, be there as moral support."

"You're not disappointed in me?" Felicity asked, her keystrokes slowing down. Barry smirked and handed her the mug of coffee.

"You're my  _best friend_ , Felicity." He started off as she took a sip of the still hot coffee. "I may not always agree with every choice you make, but if this is what it takes for you to get closure for your mom, then I support you all the way. You know I understand what you're dealing with better than anyone."

Felicity nodded, mulling over her friend's words as she handed him back the mug. He gently sat it on the table.

"This is something I need to do on my own." She said slowly. "I want to tell Laurel what I decided, but I don't want to disappoint her. I don't want to feel like a hypocrite. I bashed Arrow so hard for being a killer in the beginning. How would Laurel look at me if I just turned around and did the same thing?" She asked, as Barry tucked some loose tendrils behind her ear.

"So are you going to keep this from her until the deed is done?" He asked, sipping his own coffee. 

"I don't know yet, but I think so. I don't want her to try to talk me out of it." Felicity said, going back to typing.

"How do you think its going to affect your friendship with her if you don't tell her?" Barry asked, seriously. "Just consider it. You don't want her to feel like you couldn't trust her enough to tell her." 

"I know, you're right... I'll think about it." She replied with a short nod.

"Good." Barry smiled, before leaning over and kissing the side of Felicity's head. "So, what else is going on?" 

"I paid a visit to Oliver earlier... well, Clover did." She started, before biting on her lip. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" Barry asked, when he noticed her eyes watering up. 

"I just... learned some information that I wish I didn't hear." She answered, her eyes still glued to the computer screen as she typed away. Barry placed a hand on top of hers to stop the movement, the used his other hand to turn her face towards him.

"Lis, what's up?" He questioned, his voice soft and gentle.

"You remember when I told you about Tommy Merlyn? How he saved my life the day my mom was killed?" Barry nodded in response. "Apparently, he... killed himself."  Tears instantly streamed down her checks, and he pulled her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, Lis." He mumbled into her ear. "I know you wanted a chance to at least thank him."

"He was a good guy, I know it." She sniffed. "God, he probably killed himself to get away from his father."

"Take a breather sweetie. Let's talk about something else. Tell me about the infamous Oliver Queen. Is he anything like in the tabloids?" He asked, hoping to get off of the sour topic.

"We...um... we're kind of... seeing each other... I think... mean of course we see each other, we work in the same building, his last name is on the side of the building for goodness sake, but he was here tonight and it was kind of a date... oh God, Barry what if I get fired? I mean he's not my boss yet, but what if someone finds out? And we kissed tonight and it was great, but-"

"Let's hit pause on the babblethon," he started with a smile. He'd missed his friend's babbles, and the fact that she was babbling about Oliver Queen told him everything he needed to know. "Felicity, does he make you happy?" She stopped typing for a second and looked at Barry, a smile creeping to her face.

"I don't know what it is about him, Barry." She started. "I just... I get so nervous around him and I babble and make accidental innuendos and... I kinda like him. I mean, I haven't even known him that long but..." she trailed off with a shrug.

"Just be careful...please." Barry responded. "He's ' _Playboy Billionaire_ ' Oliver Queen and-"

"I know, Barry." She said, going back to typing, and then scribbling something on a nearby envelope. "I'll be sure not to let my guard down."

"If he does anything to hurt you, I'll break that pretty boy face of his." He smirked.

"Thanks, Barry." She smiled. "You're a great friend." She sipped at her coffee, that thankfully had cooled to a reasonable temperature.

"I'm always here," he smiled, before finishing off his coffee. "I'm starving, what do you say, you take a break from your research and we go find some food?"

"7Eleven and Big Belly are 24 hours." Felicity suggested, standing. "Besides, I'm all done. Just let me grab some shoes and a jacket." She smiled, before bounding off to her room. She returned moments later with black ankle boots and a thin, black leather jacket added to her outfit. 

"Alright, let's get the hell out if here!" Barry smiled, as they headed out.

**7Eleven**

 

Barry and Felicity sauntered around the store in search of snacks. She, as per usual, stopped by the ice cream freezer, pulling out to pints of mint chocolate chip- both of their favorite.

"We need to make a point to hangout  _at least_ once a month. I know we're both busy, but I don't want us to drift apart." He said, casually throwing his arm around her shoulders as she put the ice cream in the basket he held.

"You're absolutely right. We can alternate: one month you come here and the next, I go to Central City. I really miss Cisco and Caitlin." She replies as they moved towards the drinks.

"They miss you too. Cisco is dying to update your suit." Barry smiled down at her as he grabbed a two liter Dr. Pepper.

"Tell him kevlar... Everywhere." She smiled, linking her arm through his as they headed for the cashier. Barry quickly paid for everything, then they walked to Big Belly Burger.

"Don't look now," Felicity started, her voice low. "But that guy over there talking to the waitress works with the Arrow." She told him, when she spotted Diggle. Barry glanced in his direction.

"Cool... Is he as much if a douche?" He joked, making Felicity smile brightly.

"He's actually pretty nice. I mean, we only met once but he shook my hand and everything." Felicity said with a shrug, before ordering their food to go.

They quickly head back to her apartment, Felicity kicking off her shoes as soon as they got inside. She hung both her and Barry's jackets in the closet before grabbing to the glasses and directing him to her room. He took off his shoes and they got settled onto her bed with their food.

"What should we watch?" She asked, syncing her tablet to her TV. 

"Have you seen  _Lucy_ yet?" He asked.

"No!" She yelled excitedly, getting it set up on tablet. "Imagine how amazing it would be to use 100% of our brain." She thought aloud, lost in wonderment.

They watched the movie in a comfortable silence, and it was already pushing four in the morning at this point.

"I'm really glad you decides to come by. I needed this." Felicity smiled, her head resting on his shoulder, as she finally yawned for the first time all night.

"Me too." Barry said, pressing a kiss on top of her head.

"It's late, stay here tonight." She offered.

"Are you sure?" He asked, stretching. She nodded immediately.

"Of course, even the Flash needs his rest." She smiled. "I'm sure I have a few pairs of sweatpants in my closet that I stole from you over the years." 

"Yeah, I bet with countless of my hoodies and t-shirts." He joked.

"You'd be absolutely correct about that." She laughed as he head for her closet. Barry head to the bathroom. He reemerged, shirtless, with just his sweats, and climbed into bed beside her.

"Goodnight, Barry,"

"Goodnight, Lis."

_And they slept back-to-back, something they'd done platonically for **years.**_

**THE NEXT DAY- QUEEN CONSOLIDATED**

Felicity needed three cups of coffee that morning, due to the lack of sleep she got. She needed to see Walter to tell him about her discovery. Then she thought about his step son, Oliver. She couldn't tell him about this. She didn't want to ruin his perception of his mother. She typed a quick email to Walter:

_Good morning, Mr. Steele._

_I found some info for you and I think we should talk about it in person as soon as possible._

_Felicity Smoak_

Within minutes, she got a response from him:

_Good morning, Miss Smoak._

_You are remarkable! Please come see me in my office in one hour to discuss._

_Thank you beyond words!._

_Walter Steele_

She just had to wait an hour, and then she could get the info off of her chest. She sighed and turned her attention back to her work, when a text message cane through. She picked up her phone and smiled to herself, seeing that it was Oliver.

**OQ** : Good morning, beauty. I just wanted to apologize again for last night. I wish I could've stayed longer

She bit her lip and text a quick reply.

**FS** : it's totally fine. I had a great time either way :)

**OQ** : I'm happy to hear it... we should do it again some time ;)

**FS** : Absolutely!

**OQ** : Would you like to have lunch with me today?

**OQ** : As co-workers?

She smiles at the message, surprised that Oliver Queen wanted to spend more time with her. It still didn't feel real. Why would he want _her_? She definitely wasn't his usual type.

**FS** : A friend of mine is in town, I'd love for you to join us for lunch

**OQ** : I'd like that a lot. See you in a few hours, Felicity Smoak

Felicity smiled at the idea of having lunch with her best friend and the man who'd caught her attention. She released a sigh and buried her head in her work, until it was time to see Walter.

*******

Felicity left her cubicle with nothing but her phone and a folder. Her palms were sweating as she got into the elevator to ride up to the executive floor.

"Hey, Felicity!" Pamela called as she saw her approaching the desk.

"Hi, Pam, Mr. Steele wanted to see me." She explained. Pamela nodded, picking up the phone and dialing a number.

"Good morning, Mr. Steele... yes, Felicity Smoak is here to see you... yes sir, I'll send her in." Felicity's heart pounded, as she wondered what her newly discovered information meant. She walked down the hall to Walter's office and saw him wave her in through the transparent walls.

"Miss Smoak," he started as she closed the door behind her. "Have a seat, can I get some coffee?"

"No thank you, Mr. Steele, but I appreciate the offer." She smiled. Walter nodded as his smile faded, bracing himself for Felicity's info.

"So... what do you have for me, Miss Smoak?"

"The company Mrs. Queen, uh, Steele…Mrs. Queen-Steele?…Does she hyphenate? She seems like a woman who would hyphenate." Felicity wandered off, as Walter just stared at her expectantly. "Right. The company she invested in doesn’t exist."

Walter cocked his head, his face contorting into confusion.

"I... don't understand?" He said slowly, his eyes beckoning her for more information.

"There was no investment. The money was used to set up an offshore LLC called Tempest." Felicity explained. Walter eyebrows furrowed before he spoke up. 

"I don’t recall that name being under the Queen Consolidated banner." He muttered, more to himself than to her.

"Cause it’s not. There’s nothing registered with the secretary of state, no federal tax records, no patent applications filed. But in 2009 Tempest purchased a warehouse in Starling City." She replied.

"Were you able to find anything about the warehouse?" Walter asked.

"An address," she replied, handing him the folder. He opened it and saw what that it contained and address scrawled on the back of an envelope and printed documents. "I haven't figured out why yet but-"

"I'll look into it during my lunch hour, Miss Smoak." He half-whispered, reviewing the documents before him. "Thank you so much for your help."

"Of course, and if you need anything else, just let me know." She smiled, Walter nodded slowly, unable to tear his eyes away from the papers. She left his office, making a mental note to check out the warehouse herself later on.

*******

Oliver checked his phone when her heard a message come through.

**FS** : Hey, meet us at Big Belly Burger in 15 mins :)

He smiled at the thought of meeting one of Felicity's friends. He wanted to know everything about her. He couldn't help the way he was intrigued by her and definitely wanted to prove to her that he was much more than the playboy image he possesed. He finished signing off on a few documents before putting them in a folder and heading out to meet Felicity and her friend.

He rode the elevator down to the ground level, opting to leave his suit jacket in his office due to the nice weather. He inhaled through his nose, allowing the smell of the warm October air fill his nose. When he stepped inside of Big Belly Burger, his eyes flitted around the room, searching for Felicity.

He was surprised to see her sitting at a table, laughing with a dark haired boy next to her. He was definitely young, probably around 17 years old. He had assumed that her friend was a female, so he was shocked to see he was wrong. Her blue eyes locked with his and his heart fluttered, seeing the way that her smile grew as she waved him over to the booth.

"Hey," Oliver said with a smile, as he approached the pair. The boy stood, and Oliver stuck his hand out to him. "Oliver Queen," he introduced himself.

"Barry Allen, Felicity's told me a lot about you, Oliver." Barry replied, shaking Oliver's hand.

"I wish I could say the same about you, Barry." He responded, with just a hint of jealousy in his voice, which Barry instantly detected as they sat down. He knew that there was no reason for Oliver to be jealous. He and Felicity were more like brother and sister at this point. There was a time that he had a crush on her, but they'd been down that road and and after dating for a short week, decided that they were better off being friends.

"So, how do you two know each other?" Oliver asked after they'd ordered their lunch.

"We went to high school together." Barry started. "We met freshman year and been best friends ever since." Oliver came to the realization that Barry had to be older than he assumed.

"Yep, Barry used to stand up to bullies for me." Felicity added on, smiling up at her friend. Oliver nodded, hating that Felicity had been bullied and hating even more that he couldn't be the one to stand up for her.

"Yea, then the bullies would kick my ass." Barry snorted with a smirk.

"That's very noble of you, Barry." Oliver chuckled and Barry shrugged.

"There's no way you can watch a pretty girl with the IQ of Albert Einstein get bullied and not do anything about it." Barry smiled, nonchalantly, as he casually threw his arm around Felicity's shoulder. Oliver could just about feel his blood boil, but he kept his emotions off of his face.

"Surely you can't, " Oliver agreed as Felicity's phone rang.

"It's Mr. Steele, I should take this." She said, excusing herself from the table. "Barry, behave!" She called over her shoulder. As soon as Felicity was out of ear shot, Barry's smile vanished.

"So, Felicity tells me that you two have been... seeing each other so to speak." Barry stated right before the waitress was approached with their food.

" _Okay..._ " Oliver trailed off, waiting to see where Barry was going with this.

"Look, she's my best friend and... she's been through _a lot_. Especially with her poor taste in guys. I just don't want to see her hurt again." He started off and Oliver nodded. "Oliver, no disrespect, but I know what kind of guy you are and if you break her _heart_ , I'll break your _legs_." Oliver so desperately wanted to laugh at the smaller man's threat.

"Barry, I don't intend on ever hurting, Felicity." Oliver said, sincerely. Barry nodded in response.

"Please... for my sake, for her sake, and for yours... I hope you're telling the truth." Barry finished, just above a whisper as Felicity returned to the table.

Walter sounded urgent when he asked Felicity to see him after lunch. It made her nervous as to what he found at the warehouse. She road the elevator up to the executive floor with Oliver and they split ways when they reached. Felicity could see Walter sitting at his desk, his head in his hands, before she opened the door.

"Mr. Steele... you wanted to see me?" She said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Is everything okay?"

"Felicity, please sit," he replied softly. She could hear the worry in his voice and her palms began to sweat as she sat across from him. "I've come to believe that I can trust you. So please, what I am about to tell you, and everything we learn and discuss, must not be repeated to anyone. Not even Oliver."

"Mr. Steele, I assure you, I'm _very_ good at keeping secrets. My lips are sealed."

"What I found at the warehouse..." he trailed off. "It was the remnants... of the Queens Gambit." Felicity was in utter disbelief when she heard this. Why would Moira be stashing this? "I found this in the warehouse as well." Walter slid a small, dark brown book across the table. Felicity picked it up cautiously and flipped through it.

"It's... blank?"

"I know... Felicity, you're the best at your job. I just need you to find out whatever you can about this book." Felicity nodded.

"I'll see what I can find." She promised.

"You are a _saint_ , Miss Smoak." He replied as Felicity stuffed the book into her purse. What was Moira Queen hiding?

* * *

 

When Felicity got home, she text Laurel to come over. She really needed her friend. She kicked off her shoes and changed into sweats and a tank top before heading back to the front of the apartment. She heard a gentle knock on the door as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

"You got here fast," she said pulling the door open to see that it wasn't Laurel at the door. "Oh, Mrs. Queen...hi." Moira gave Felicity a fake smile.

"May I come in?" She asked, politely. Felicity knew to keep her guard up.

"Sure," she replied, stepping aside to let her in. "Ummm... if you don't mind me asking, how did you get my address?"

"You're a Queen Consolidated employee... the company directory, of course." Moira responded.

"Oh.. right. Can I get you something to drink?" Felicity asked, politely.

"There's no need, I won't be here very long." She said, looking around Felicity's apartment with a look of disgust.

"So... why are you here?"

"I'm glad you asked, Miss Smoak." Moira said, facing Felicity. "I need you to stop poking around in things you don't understand. I know what you're doing, so cut it out. I wouldn't want _anything_ to happen to you." Felicity was taken aback by Moira's threat.

"And if I _don't_?" Felicity questioned, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow. Moira moved closer to her, their faces just inches apart.

"You _don't_ want to find out." She hissed, then left the apartment. Clearly whatever Moira was hiding was serious, otherwise, she wouldn't have come to Felicity's home to threaten her. She vowed to herself that she would find out Moira's secret. She grabbed her cell phone and sent a quick text to Walter:

_Your wife just came by my apartment and threatened me..._

Almost instantly he text back:

_I am so sorry, Miss Smoak. I'd appreciate it if you leave this behind. Please return the notebook tomorrow. Thank you._

Felicity sighed and put the phone down on the counter. She hated mysteries, and this one needed to be solved with or without Walter's consent. She walked over to her computer and began typing away. It only took her 30 minutes to find a name and she suited up, ready and desperate to find answers. She picked up her phone and called Laurel.

"Hey, Lis, I'm sorry, I got held up at work." Laurel apologized.

"That's okay. When you get here, use the spare key to let yourself in. I have to make a quick run, but I won't be gone long." Felicity replied, grabbing her bow and quiver.

"Okay. Where are you off to?" She asked.

"Umm.. we'll talk about it when I get back." Felicity replied, though she had no intentions of telling her about this.

*****7:30pm-Starling Women's Clinic*****

Clover sat inside the office of Ob/gyn Daniel Michaels, sitting behind is desk. She was growing impatient, having been there for 10 minutes. The short, balding man finally entered and jumped when he saw her. She stood up and pointed an arrow at him.

"Close and lock the door." She demanded. He did as told.

"W-what do you want? Money? I can give you money!" He cried, "Just please don't kill me! Please."

"I won't have to kill you if you just tell me what I need to know." She responded. Daniel nodded furiously.

"Anything, whatever you wanna know." He said, his voice shaky.

"What secret did Moira Queen pay you to keep?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Clover rolled her eyes and shot the arrow into the door behind him, the arrow wisping past his ear.

"The next one is going through your heart. Now, I'm not going to ask again." She growled, pointing another arrow.

"Okay, okay. Malcolm Merlyn fathered her second child. A baby girl. She asked me to cover it up. That's all, I swear!" He cried out.

"Do you have proof?" She asked, walking up to him. He went to the file cabinet and dug through the folders. He pulled out the one that said "Queen, Moira L." and handed it to her. Clover stuck the arrow back in her quiver and flipped through the folder, seeing all the evidence she needed. "It was nice doing business with you, doctor."

And she was gone out of the window. She walked down the alleyway, still looking through the folder. She felt her stress levels rising and she pulled out her phone. She sent a text to Laurel:

_Hey, I'll be back soon, I just need to make another stop. Promise we'll talk when I get there._

Then she used the tracking app to locate the Arrow and followed it to Verdant.

*******

She reached what appeared to be his lair in the basement of the nightclub. She looked around, amazed. There was no one there, but the place was amazing. She slid her fingers over a glass case that contained a multitude of arrows.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?!" The deep voice yelled. Clover looked up to see the Arrow and his friend, Dig approaching her.

"I just-" she started before he cut her off.

"How did you find this place?! How did you get in?!" He growled, pointing an arrow at her. She sighed and looked between the two men.

"Your security code is _really_ easy to override." She stated simply, trying to sound tough, though inside should was falling apart.

"I ought to kill you right now." He snarled.

"Calm down, pussycat, you're not gonna kill anybody. I'm just here to talk." She replied, trying to keep her calm.

"About what?" He asked, his voice still tinged with anger.

"Have you been crying?" Dig asked, his sentimental side coming out.

"No!" She yelled, quickly getting defensive. The truth was, she had been crying. She needed someone to talk to who didn't know her well and could give her sound advice. The Arrow was the only person who came to mind.

"Arrow, why don't you lower that thing. I doubt she's here to do us any harm." Dig said. Oliver looked at him and Dig gave him a small, single nod. Clover watched as Arrow placed his bow and arrow on the table. She placed her bow on the floor and unclipped her quiver, placing it down as well.

"Can we please talk? Vigilante to vigilante?" She asked.

"Start talking." He demanded.

"I was hoping we could talk with just the two of us." She said slowly. He was about to protest when she spoke up. "I won't try anything, I swear."

"I'll be right upstairs if you need me." Dig said, before leaving. Oliver hated this woman, but became curious when he realized the pain in her eyes.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked, slightly calmer, but still cautious. Felicity felt overwhelmed by everything going on, but after what she learned about Moira and Malcolm, she needed to talk to someone.

"I know that you've killed people-"

"That's not who I am anymore." He interrupted.

"I know." She replied. "But I've never killed anyone before... and I was hoping you could give me some advice." He continued to eye her suspiciously and signalled for her to follow him to the computers so they could sit. He now realized that she was bluffing when she visited him as Oliver Queen. "Wow... your tech is from the stone ages."

"What advice do you need?" He asked once they were seated, ignoring her jab.

"There's... someone... and he did something horrible. Something unforgivable."

"I'm assuming you don't plan on telling me who or what." He mentioned, folding his arms. She let out a sigh.

"I don't want to get you too involved." She replied softly. Oliver softened up a bit, noticing that the woman was conflicted about killing. And if he could keep her from dropping bodies in his city, that would be best.

"Clover, what's going on?" He pushed. She looked up, finally meeting his eyes.

"I want... I think I _need_.. to kill him." She answered.

"What did he do?"

"He... murdered someone... important to me." She said, just above a whisper.

"Clover, let me tell you something I learned from Dig." He said, beginning to feel sympathy towards the young woman. "Killing changes you. It doesn't matter what the person did, you still have to live with that. Dig and I have both been there... and now that I've stopped, I carry this weight with me... because I can't undo any of it. I don't wish that feeling on anyone. I feel like I'm a monster."

She stared down at her hands and wondered if, though beyond annoying, the Arrow wasn't as bad as she thought.

"But what if there's no other way?" She asked sheepishly. He leaned in slightly and placed a hand on her knee.

"Clover, there is _always_ another way. I've already done my dirt. But you... your soul is kind of pure in a way. Don't give anyone the power to taint your purity." He said seriously. She stared into his blue eyes, noticing that they felt familiar. It made her feel strangely comfortable and she began to slowly lean towards him. He knew what was happening but couldn't bring himself to move.

And soon enough, their lips were moving together.

Clover pulled back away from him, her blue eyes wide and apologetic.

"I-I am _so_ sorry." She said, standing from the chair. "I should go. I'm sorry for breaking in. I promise I won't tell anyone about this place." She finishes, walking away from him.

"Clover, wait," he said, standing and grabbing her arm before she could get far.

"Listen... we can't do this. I'm actually kind of-" he stopped her words by pressing his lips back to hers. What was he doing? Everything in him was telling him to let her leave... that he finally had a great woman in his life. Though he and Felicity hadn't put a label on their relationship, he couldn't help but feel almost like he was cheating on her. But the kiss felt _right_. He couldn't deny that. He slowly pulled away from her.

"Don't be sorry," he said, his voice still affected by the modulator. "I'm not." He grabbed her by her waist and before she could protest, kissed her more fervently than before. Her brain was screaming no, but she couldn't stop her lips. She knew she was going to regret this. Clover broke the kiss and took a few steps back from him.

"I... need to leave." She stated. "I'll see you around, Arrow."

And just like that she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit is about to get real! Tell me what you thought about this chapter. What was your favorite part? What was your least favorite part? What surprised you? What did you love? What did you hate? What do you think is going to happen next?
> 
> xoxo cloverlotus


	6. There's a Bigger Problem

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for the sake of this story, Diggle is not Oliver's body guard. This will be mentioned somewhere down the line as to why. Verdant's ownership will be mentioned in this chapter. Also, I already have the unmaskings of Clover and Arrow planned out. It's going to be a pretty heavy scene (and hopefully emotional if I execute it well) when they do find out.

Felicity climbed into her apartment via the fire escape of her bedroom window. Laurel was sleeping in her bed and she instantly felt bad for having her friend wait up for her. She removed her mask and boots then approached the bed. It had been an eventful night, she had kissed the Arrow...

_And_ saw the Arrow Cave...

In the basement of _Verdant..._

Then it hit her. Oliver Queen's younger sister owns Verdant. It used to be his, but somewhere along the way he passed it on to her.

But it couldn't be... _could this?_

"Oh frack! Oliver Queen is the Arrow!" Felicity yelled out, starling Laurel from her sleep.

"Geez, why are you yelling?" Laurel asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Oliver... it makes perfect sense but then it makes no sense at all." Felicity replied. She sat next to Laurel, who was now sitting up, wide awake.

" _What_ about Oliver? And what took you so long?" Laurel questioned. "Where _were_ you?"

"I kissed Arrow at the Arrow Cave!" Felicity blurted out before clamping her hands over her mouth.

_"Felicity!_ What about Oliver? I thought you said you liked him." Laurel shook her head, disappointed in her friend.

"I think Oliver is the Arrow." She started out. Before she could explain, Laurel was already shaking her head with doubt. "Hear me out, okay?"

_"Ollie,_ Lis? _Really?_ There's _no_ way he's the Arrow." Laurel said, still shaking her head.

"Laurel, then why is the Arrow Cave located in the basement of _Verdant?"_ Felicity asked, cocking her head to the side with an eyebrow raised.

"I... I don't know, but there's no way it's Ollie... right? Maybe it's one of Thea's friends?" Laurel asked, trying to weigh the possibilities. "Let's just sleep on it. We've both had a long day." Felicity sighed as she stood from the bed. She knew her friend was right. It had been a rather eventful day. She sauntered over to her dresser, pulling out a tank top and a pair of pajama shorts. She changed in front of her dresser, before climbing into bed next to Laurel.

"I'm sorry I left you here waiting for me." Felicity said in a small voice.

"It's okay. Su casa es mi casa. I know how to make myself at home." Laurel winked.

"You're so good to me.Goodnight, hun." she sighed.

"'Night, Lis." Laurel replied, turning over on her side, so that her back was to Felicity.

Felicity had only been asleep for about an hour when she heard a crash come from her living room. She sat up in her bed and looked over at Laurel, noticing that she was sitting up as well.

"Did you hear that? I think someone's in here." Laurel whispered.

"Stay here." Felicity demanded, slowly standing from her bed. She tiptoed to the closet and pulled out her bow and just one arrow. She stealthily left her room and approached the living room, her arrow ready to be fired. She could hear the shuffling and it confirmed her suspicion that someone had broken in. She peaked into the living room, seeing a man dressed in all black with his back to her. She stepped fully into the living room before calling out, "Who are you and who sent you?!"

The man whipped around and looked at her. He had to be around 25 years old, with long, sandy blond hair sticking out from under his beanie.

"She told you to stop!" He yelled, reaching for his hoodie pocket.

"Move and you die." She said, stopping him in his tracks. "Did Moira send you?" She asked.

"She told you to stop." The man repeated. "Where is the evidence? We know you have it."

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one with the weapon, so I ask the questions. Did. Moira. Queen. Send you?" She pushed, approaching the man without lowering her arrow.

"Yes."

"That's all I needed to know." She replied, shooting the arrow into his foot. The intruder yelled out in immense pain before ripping it out. "Leave. And if you come back here, that arrow will be in your heart instead." She growled as the man limped backwards towards the window.

Once he was gone, she lowered her bow. How was she going to approach this situation? Typically, she would go straight to the source, but she couldn't do that with Moira. One, because she's Oliver's mother. Two, it would be much too easy for Moira to connect the dots between Felicity and Clover. Oliver deserved to know the truth.

But could she really destroy his view of his mother? She knew that Moira probably hid the 'Malcolm is the baby daddy' secret to protect her family's feelings, but what about the gambit remnants at the warehouse? There was definitely a bigger picture here, and the measures that Moira was willing to take to hide it, just made Felicity more curious.

"Lis?" Laurel called as she was walking down the hall, startling Felicity from her thoughts.

"Sit," she said, pointing to the couch and sitting on the coffee table across from her. "We need to talk." She explained everything to Laurel from investigating for Walter to Malcolm being Thea's father.

"Ollie deserves to know. Especially if there's something bigger going on." Laurel spoke softly. "I can't believe it... Malcolm... and _Moira_?"

"I know," Felicity replied, shaking her head. "Come on, let's get some rest. We have work in the AM." She said standing and heading back to her room.

***THE NEXT DAY-QUEEN CONSOLIDATED 6:45pm***

Felicity found herself intentionally avoiding Oliver for two reasons. The first being, she needed to tell him about Moira and Malcolm. The second, she knew that if he was in sight, she would hawk him down for physical similarities to Arrow. She sat in her cubicle, trying desperately to focus on her finishing up her work for the day, when an email came through:

_Good evening , Miss Smoak._

_Please come see me as soon as possible._

_W. Steele_

****on the executive floor****

Of course it would be Felicity's luck to run into Oliver when she got upstairs. The office was empty aside from three people who were still packing up to go home. She locked eyes with him for half a second and tried to avoid his gaze as he walked in her direction. She practically ran from him to head to Walter's office. She lightly tapped on the glass door and he gestured for her to come in.

The dark circles under his eyes were prominent and she could tell that he hadn't been sleeping well. He looked weary, stressed out, and nervous. She felt terrible for him . To be married to an awful woman who is hiding all of these secrets is sad.

"Miss Smoak," he started. "I asked you to back off." She felt like his eyes were piercing her soul. Almost like he was looking right through her.

"I know, but Mr. Ste-" she started, still standing just a few feet away from the door.

"No buts, Miss Smoak." He interrupted, his voice tinged with anger. She'd never seen him angry before, and she felt a vulnerability flow through her. But he needed to know the truth.

"Mr. Steele, all due respect, there is a bigger problem here."

"No!" He growled, standing from his chair. Felicity was taken aback from his sudden outburst and was glad that everyone else had gone home for the night. "The only problem here is that my employee disobeyed my wishes! I told you to back off, Felicity!"

"Okay, fine." She said calmly, no reason to make the man more upset than he already was. "I'll leave it alone. Promise." She could see Walter calm down and exhale before sitting back in his chair.

"That will be all, Miss Smoak." He replied softly.

"So... I'm not fired?" She asked in a small voice.

"As long as we don't need to have this conversation again. Goodnight." He answered, no longer looking at her, but staring into space. She turned and walked out of his office. Why did he suddenly want her to drop all of this? It just wasn't making sense to her. As she head for the elevators, she felt a strong hand grab hers.

"Felicity, wait." He said. She was really hoping to leave without seeing him, but now it was unavoidable. She slid her hand out of his and turned to face him.

"Hi," she said in a small voice, still bothered by her conversation with Walter.

"Is everything okay? You seem like you were avoiding me all day, then I hear my step father yelling at you... what's going on?" Oliver asked gently. There's no way such a kind hearted man could be the Arrow right? But the facts were there.

"Umm..." she trailed off, avoiding eye contact with him. "We should talk... but not out here." She gestured to the reception area.

"Come to my office," he said, gently taking her hand and leading the way. Once they were in the office, which was just down the hall from Walter's, he grabbed her waist and pressed his lips to hers. She kissed him back reluctantly before slowly pulling away. This man was going to be the death of her... especially if he actually is the Arrow.

"What was that for?" She asked softly.

"Because I've been wanting to kiss you since our date." He smiled, pecking her lips once more before pulling out the chair for her to sit. He remained standing, half sitting on his desk in front of her. "What's going on?" He asked, searching her eyes for answers.

"You're _not_ going to like this..." Felicity trailed off, and began chewing on her bottom lip.

"I'm an open minded guy, try me." He smiled, trying to lighten the mood and make her more comfortable.

"The other day... when Mr. Steele called me to his office..." she trailed off again. She knew this was going to tear him apart and more than likely, his family as well.

"I remember..." he said, encouraging her to continue.

"He wanted me to look into something regarding your mom." _Okay, just rip off the band aid_ , she told herself. "She came to my house and threatened me when I first started investigating, and yesterday I found out that she was hiding something really big, like huge, and she sent a goon to my house, but me and Laurel scared him off, and Laurel said that you deserve to know what your mom is hiding and I want to tell you, I really do, but I don't want to ruin your image of your mom, because you know... she's your mom." Felicity finished then took a deep breath. Oliver stared at her with a blank look on his face. "Please say _something_." She whispered.

"What is she hiding?" He asked, his voice rough.

"Before I tell you, please know that I have physical proof, and I wouldn't lie to you about something like this." She started and he nodded in response. "Malcolm Merlyn is your sister's father." Oliver blue eyes widened in shock as he walked away from his desk and towards the window. He looked out of the window in silence with his back to her. Looking over the city brought him no peace this time.

"Are you sure?" He asked, turning to face her again. She nodded slowly at the same time they heard a male scream come from Walter's office. Simultaneously, they sprung into action to check on him. Once they got there, they could see a man, dressed as the Arrow, leaving through the window.

Felicity dropped to her knees, before Walter's still form on the floor as Oliver ran towards the window. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she focus on the three arrows in his chest. Looking at the end of it that was sticking out, she was able to confirm that it was indeed the Arrow. She was wrong... Oliver wasn't the Arrow.

"We need to call the police." She whispered as she stood. Oliver finally looked at her and she could see the pain written all over his face. "The Arrow... he did this."

Oliver just looked at her in silence. Surely, he couldn't tell her that he was Arrow, but how could he defend his alter ego's honor after what she had just seen? Then his eyes focused on her watery blue ones and he walked over to her, enveloping her small frame in his strong arms.

"I'm so sorry you had to see this." He whispered into her hair as she sobbed. How was he going to worm his way out of this one? He rubbed small circles on her back and placed a kiss on top of her head. "I'll call you a cab to take you home. I'll stay here to talk to the police."

"No, I'll stay with you." She replied, pulling out of his embrace and wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Okay," he whispered, as he pulled out his phone to call the police. Felicity couldn't hear anything while he was on the phone. She could only hear her thoughts jumping around her brain. She kissed this man. She confided in him. And he shows up at her workplace and kills her boss?... _After he just gave her a speech about not killing?! What kind of a hypocrite was he?! Was he working for Moira? Was he-_

"They'll be here soon," Oliver said as he walked over and kneeled down next to Walter's body.

"I'm sorry, Oliver, I know he was like a second father to you." Felicity said just above a whisper. She was definitely going to visit Arrow tonight and he was getting a piece of her mind. Oliver looked up at her before standing and walking to her, pain and anger plastered on his face. On second hand, the Arrow could wait until tomorrow. Oliver probably needed her more. "Do you want to come over to my place? I mean so that I could comfort you... not so we could... you know... anyways, I can't cook but I'll order some takeout and... you can just unwind."

"I..." he trailed off. He really wanted to go out and look for the imposter that killed Walter. But he knew that if he went out and acted in anger, he would do more harm than good. He'd made that mistake too many times and he would be foolish to make it again.

"I'm sorry, you should be spending this time with your family, not me... that was so rude of me to even suggest that." she backtracked, when she realized he stayed silent.

"No, no...I'd like that," he whispered, forcing a smile as he let a single tear fall. "Besides, I don't think I can face my mother right now." She tiptoed and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Walter was an amazing man, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this." She pulled back from him and wiped the lone tear as the police approached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GIMME THEM COMMENTS!!
> 
> Ahem.. kidding.   
> But seriously, comment what you think and all constructive criticism is welcomed! 
> 
> This chapter was extra effing long, so I split it into two and will be posting the next part tomorrow.
> 
> Feel Free to check out my new series of Barricity one-shots, (cause there are just not enough of them!), starting with the story, "Cross the Line"!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading!! :) 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, I meant to post this a few days ago but I was busy writing chapter 8, (and let me tell you, not to toot my own horn, but it is gooood!).
> 
> Anywho, I'm currently looking for a beta, so if you or someone you know is interested, let me know in the comments! 
> 
> Now... on with the story

The drive back to Felicity's building was a quiet one. Oliver had insisted on driving and she didn't mind, though it meant her red mini would have to stay in the QC parking lot overnight. They silently made their way up to her apartment and just as she was about to open her door, she paused.

"Wait here? I'll be just a minute, I need to make sure I have nothing embarrassing lying around,." she said, giving him a small smile.

In actuality, she remembered that her bow was in the living room with the bloodstained arrow from her intruder. Two things that Oliver did _not_ need to see. He nodded and offered a smile of his own as she ducked into her home.

Once inside, she quickly gathered up the Clover evidence and brought them to the room, shoving them into her closet. She looked around her room, finding her leather outfit on the floor and stuffing it into the closet. Once she was sure everything was put away, she head back to the front door and opened it. Oliver was leaning against the opposite wall, as patient as ever. She stepped aside, allowing him to enter the apartment.

Felicity felt her heart flutter as he came in. The last time he was there they had kissed. She felt her nerves jumping around excitedly as she locked the door and followed him to the living room.

"Let me take your jacket," she offered, holding out her arms. Oliver gave her a small smile, the slipped the perfectly tailored jacket off of his shoulders. A piece of her wished that wasn't the only thing he was taking off, but- ' _no, get your mind out of the gutter!'_ she thought to herself. Oliver tipped his head and smiled as he handed her his jacket.

"Why? What are you thinking about?" He asked, as she hung his jacket in her closet.

"Oh _frack!_ I said that out loud didn't I?" She asked, her eyes half popping out of her head, making him smile more. "My brain-to-mouth filter has been broken for pretty much my entire life." Oliver loosened his tie as he closed the space between. He could hear her audible gulp and could see that she was biting the inside of her cheek.

Felicity stared up at him as he placed his right hand on her waist and pulled her in so that their bodies were flush against each other. She wished she was bold like Clover. Clover would've already had them attached at the lips. But instead she was a bundle of nerves, slightly shuddering at his touch. Her heart was beating wildly and for a moment, she wondered if he could hear it.

His left hand came up to cup her cheek, and she pressed her face into the warmth of it, still staring into his blue orbs. Oliver leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, then one on the tip of her nose, and just as his lips barely brushed hers...

_Ring! Ring!_

Felicity jumped, startled by her phone ringing, and pulled away from Oliver. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Barry. She gave Oliver and apologetic smile, and as she answered the phone, he sat on the sofa.

"Hey, Barry, is everything okay?" She answered, her voice raspy.

_"I should be asking you that. I saw the news about your boss. Are you alright? Are you hurt?"_ He questioned, the concern for his best friend evident in his voice.

"I'm fine... well physically fine, but I'm on the verge of being an emotional wreck." She said softly, as she walked towards the kitchen.

" _Do you need me to come over?_ " He asked.

That was always her favorite thing about Barry. He was so compassionate without being overbearing. She remembered back to her 20th birthday. She was an emotional wreck because it was the anniversary of her mother's death. She had just graduated MIT early and she couldnt even be excited about it. All of her Central City friends were there for her, but were overwhelming her. They tried to convince her to celebrate but she wound up staying home and shutting off her phone. Barry came by that night, with a _Doctor Who_ DVD box set and mint chip ice cream. They spent the night of her birthday laughing. It was her first time feeling genuinely happy since her mother's passing.

"That's okay, Barry, I'm actually here with Oliver." She answered, glancing up at the handsome man, who was staring off into space.

" _Give him my condolences. If you need anything, I'm here."_ He offered.

"Thanks, Barry, and I'll tell him."

" _Hey, I almost forgot, we finished the DNA analyses. I have a list of 34 names that the limbs belong to."_

"You're a lifesaver... _and_ a time saver. Can you email them to me?" She asked.

" _Absolutely. I gotta go meet Iris for a coffee date... kinda, but promise you'll call if you need anything."_

"Coffee with _Iris?_ Good luck, I'm happy for you." She smiled into the receiver. Barry had been crushing on Iris for years, she was beyond ecstatic that he was finally making moves.

" _Thank you, Lis. I'll speak to you soon_." He replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Goodnight, say hi to Iris for me." She said.

_"Will do, say hi to Oliver for me. Goodnight."_ She hung up the phone and set it down on the kitchen island. She walked over to the cupboard and pulled out two glasses, then ducked to the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink and pulled out a bottle of scotch. She wasn't big on scotch, but she kept some on hand for shitty days, like this one.

She carried the glasses and the bottle back to the living room and set them down on the coffee table. She looked at Oliver as she toed off her heels, noticing that he was still staring into nothingness. He didn't even react as she kneeled in front of him to remove his tie, and open the first few buttons of his shirt. She then sat next to him on the couch, and filled both glasses about a third of the way.

"You look like you could use a drink," she said softly, breaking him from his thoughts. He turned his head slowly and looked at her.

"I'm sorry that you had to be there and see Walter that way." He started, hardly above a whisper. "I should've-"

"Oliver, there was nothing you could have done. Don't you _dare_ try to blame yourself." She interrupted sternly, placing a hand on his knee. His blue eyes floated away from hers and he looked down at his hands. She held the glass of scotch out to him and he gave her a small smile before taking it.

"Thank you," he whispered before downing the glass in one shot. She picked up the bottle, and this time filled his glass halfway.

"Whatever you need," she smiled, before downing her own glass, then refilling it. They sat for about an hour, drinking in silence, the bottle now only a quarter full. They were both teetering on the edge of drunk, when Felicity stood from the couch and set her glass on the coffee table. She turned and held her hand out to Oliver. "Come with me," she whispered. He smiled up at her before taking her hand, and standing to follow her.

Felicity slowly led him to her bedroom and once they were inside, she turned to face him. It was already dark outside and though her room light was off, it was dimly lit by the moonlight. He placed his strong hands on her waist and leaned down slowly to kiss her. It was slow and sensual and their lips moved together perfectly.

Felicity felt her heart beat erratically and her legs shook just the slightest bit. They were both overcome with an emotional vulnerability after the day's events. As if right now, they needed each other more than ever. She stood on her toes and tangled her fingers into his short hair as his teeth grazed her bottom lip, causing her to let out a soft moan.

Oliver slid his hands down from her waist to her butt and gave it a gentle squeeze. He could feel her grip his hair just a little tighter as a result as she slid her warm tongue into his mouth.

Her fingers trailed down the sides of his face, to his neck, then chest, before she began working on his shirt buttons. She felt his hands tighten on her waist as his length hardened against her abdomen. She pushed the shirt off of his shoulders, not breaking the kiss, and let it fall to the floor. She pulled her lips from him, and looked down at his body.

Felicity glanced up to look into Oliver's eyes and saw the somewhat apologetic expression on his face as he looked back at her. She lightly trailed her fingers over the myriad of scars and tattoos that adorned his abdomen, then gave him a small smile before placing a gentle kiss on his collarbone. He smiled back down at her and dipped his head to recapture her lips.

She could feel his hands fumbling for the zipper on the back of her long sleeved, blue knee length dress. Once the zipper was down, he released her lips and slid the dress down the length of her body, exposing the mauve bra and panty set she wore underneath. His eyes trailed down her fit body and he noticed a pink scar on her thigh. He gently brushed his fingers over before looking back into her eyes.

"What happened here?" He asked softly.

"Let's just say that I don't belong in the kitchen," she joked halfheartedly. Clearly he bought her lie because he smiled before kneeling down in front of her and placed a gentle kiss on it. He then moved his lips to her inner thighs and placed butterfly kisses on them as he reached up to the waist band of her panties, slowly sliding them down her long, toned legs.

He could hear her breathing pick up and he loved that he could have this effect on her. It was only mere moments before they were both naked in her bed, Oliver settled between her legs. His lips trailed from hers, down to her pulse point as she released soft mewls. After a moment she went silent, and Oliver peaked up at her.

Felicity was asleep.

He smiled at the sleeping blonde before rolling off of her and pulling her close to him. She tucked her head under his chin and murmured his name, causing him to smile again in the darkness. He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head, before drifting off as well.

* * *

 

Felicity awakened alone in her bed, to the smell of food and the sound of pots and pans clanging about. She sat up in her bed, and realized she was naked, before remember the wonderful night she had with Oliver... all the way up until the point where she fell asleep.  _Man, was that gonna make for awkward conversation. Hey sorry I led you on, then fell asleep on you._

She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stretched them out while yawning. Standing from her bed and grabbed Oliver's white button up shirt from the floor, sliding it on and leaving the top three buttons open.

She picked up her tablet to check her email, seeing the list that Barry sent the night before. She set her tablet to search the web for the names on the list, hoping to find some news about them. It would alert her when the search was completed. Then she realized the time in the top corner of the tablet: 10:27am. She was supposed to be at work already! She panicked and made a beeline straight for the kitchen.

"Why didn't you- that smells _amaaazing_ \- why didn't you wake me?!" She asked hysterucally. "I was supposed to be at work at _nine_! I know your family owns the company so you get _whatever_ free pass you-"

_"Fe-li-ci-ty,"_ Oliver started, moving the omelet from the pan to a plate and then looking at the flustered blonde. "Take a deep breath, okay? Queen Consolidated is closed today, in honor of Walter. There's going to be a vigil for him this evening." he explained. He could see her physically relax.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get all ' _grrrr_ ' on you." She smiled, still standing on the opposite side of the kitchen island, which he leaned over to peck her lips.

"Sit," he instructed while placing a plate in front of her. The omelet and bacon looked amazing, the only time she had home cooked food in her apartment was if Laurel was doing the cooking. "You look incredible in my shirt by the way." He said, while handing her a cup of coffee. Felicity could feel the heat coming to her face as she blushed furiously.

She took a moment to drink in his appearance, now seeing his scars and tattoos in the light. He was shirtless and barefoot with just his suit pants on.

"Promise me that one day you'll tell me the stories of your scars." She spoke softly, still staring at his abs. Good, Google his body is amazing, she thought, unable to tear her eyes away. Oliver walked around the kitchen island, standing behind her. He bent down slightly so that his mouth was leveled with her ear, and placed his hands on her thighs, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Your body is even more amazing," he whispered before pressing a soft kiss below her ear, then moving his lips to her neck.

"Out loud again, huh?" She whispered, as his lips continued assault on her neck. "If you don't stop that, I'Lloyd be forced to make up for last night, and we'll never finish breakfast." Oliver moved his lips from her neck and placed a quick kiss on her lips.

"You're absolutely right... though I'd love for us to make up for last night." he winked, walking to the other side of the island, and sitting across from her. "And yes, one day I'll tell you all about my scars." Felicity nodded then popped the first bite of the omelet into her mouth, and was in instant heaven.

_"Ohhhh_ this is so good!" She moaned in-between bites, causing him to flash his dimpled smile. "You have to teach me to cook one day, I burn water." Oliver laughed the her revelation.

"I'm sure there's something you know how to make." He smiled.

"Ummm... I can make a mean PB&J, does that count? Hell, if you want me to get fancy, I'll even cut off the crust." She giggled, gaining a full on laugh from him.

"Tell you what, you teach me some if your IT knowledge and I'll teach you to cook." He suggested. It seemed like a perfect opportunity for him, because if he was going to find this imposter Arrow then he was going to need her computer smarts.

"Deal!" She agreed, reaching her hand across the table to shake his.

***1:00pm** *

"Where are we _gooooiiing_?" Felicity whined in the passenger seat of Laurel's car. Oliver had left after breakfast that morning, having to go see his family. Laurel came by to pick her up shortly after, claiming that she had a surprise. They had only been driving for about 20 minutes, but Felicity hated surprises.

"We're almost there, relax. You're gonna love it!" She squealed, pulling up to an abandoned warehouse and hopping out of the car. "Bring your costume." She called over her shoulder.

Felicity grabbed the duffel bag that contained her Clover gear and followed behind her, realizing how abandoned the area looked. It was in the uptown area of the Glades, and there were many abandoned buildings in the area. Laurel grabbed her hand and pulled her behind the building to a small entrance. They went down a small set of stairs and Felicity was astonished.

"Laurel," she whispered, dropping her bag on the floor and looking around the large room. "It's incredible! How did you have time to get this all done?" The lair was all black and white and very sophisticated looking.

On one side, was a spacious training area, completed with training mats, dummies, and a bench press. A little off next to the training area, was a wall of weapons. These weapons ranged from a multitude of swords, arrows, a spare bow, and guns. A little further down the wall were shelves holding medical and science supplies. About five feet in front of a wall was a medical table with an IV stand beside it.

The other side of the lair had a 10 foot long desk, holding three computer monitors, and a comfortable looking chair with wheels. Beside the desk was a mini fridge, and above that was a white shelf holding a microwave.

The wall to the right of that one had a large white board and dry erase markers. Next to that was a gold colored mannequin, wearing an all black, leather costume. It was a mid-back length, wavy, silver wig and a black mask similar to the one she had, but with a small clover cut-out between the eyes.

The outfit consisted of a short, low-cut cropped top with kevlar sleeves, and leather pants with straps around the legs. Each strap held a katana, and the holsters on the hips held glocks. The shoes were knee high boots with a two inch wedge. There was a small cardboard box beside the mannequin.

Felicity was beyond impressed and grateful. They had originally planned to go looking into places together, but with everything going on she had forgot. She was thankful to Laurel for taking the initiative and creating something so amazing. From the outside of the warehouse, you would never imagine that the inside looked like this.

"I didn't do it alone, so I can't take _all_ of the credit." Laurel said, as Felicity pulled her into a hug.

"Laurel, this is amazing, I love it." She smiled backing away from her friend and heading for the computers.

"You have to do the upgrades on those. We didn't know how." Laurel replied, as Felicity ran her fingers over the keyboard.

"Yeah, that's fine," she replied with a smile and turning back to face Laurel. "Who's the 'we'?" She asked.

"Well, you know we only had ten thousand dollars to spend and-"

"The total of this room is _definitely_ beyond ten grand." Felicity interrupted, now confused and looking around. Who had contributed to this?

"Well," Laurel started. "I told Barry that I wanted to start the lair for you and he helped me find the place. Then, Star Labs made a very generous donation to the cause. Barry, Cisco, and Caitlin all helped put it together. Barry was the reason we finished so fast, and Cisco made the suit, it's all lined with kevlar." Laurel smiled proudly.

"You guys are _amazing_. What did I do to deserve friends like you guys?" Felicity smiled, walking up to Laurel and hugging her once more.

"You do so much for all of us and you're always so selfless. You deserved this." She told Felicity seriously, looking her in the eye. "But that's not all." Laurel said as she pulled Felicity across the room to the mannequin. She picked up the cardboard box and handed it to her friend.

"What's _this?"_ Felicity asked cautiously, sticking out her hands and accepting the box.

"Open it!" Laurel squealed excitedly. Felicity did as told and was confused to find an odd shaped piece of folded chrome magenta metal with a single black button in the center. Felicity held the device in one hand and pressed the button with her thumb. A large smile spread across her face when she saw that the piece of metal was an intricate, retractable bow, similar to that of the Arrow.

"So freaking cool!" She smiled, examining the beautiful piece.

"I remembered how envious you were about Arrow's bow, so I told Cisco and he made you this one. The color choice was Barry's idea.

"You guys are incredible and we're burning my old costume." Felicity smiled, pressing the button to retract the bow.

"We know, and you're welcome, now go get dressed. You have a visit to the Arrow Cave awaiting you." Laurel said, putting a hand on Felicity's shoulder. Felicity changed into her new Clover gear and turned to face Laurel.

"What do you think?" She asked, putting on her quiver and picking her her new bow. The outfit was skin tight, and she'd felt like the cleavage was a bit much, but it was surprisingly comfortable. Laurel gave her friend a once-over and smiled.

"A bit different, but so hot and bad ass. The silver hair is a nice touch." Laurel smiled, handing her the comm device and inserting one in her own ear. "Now get out of here. Duty calls!"

* * *

 

Felicity sped through the Glades, on her Harley, racing to reach Verdant. She pulled into the alleyway behind the club. She used her phone to quickly hack the security system and headed downstairs at top speed, bow in her hand. Once inside the lair, she aimed her arrow at the leather clad vigilante's back. He was standing, facing the computers, and Diggle was sitting in the chair beside him, already pointing a gun at her.

"Gee, Dig, I thought you and me may really become friends. Don't put yourself in the crosshairs for a murdering hypocrite!" She yelled, not lowering her bow. Arrow raised his hands and turned around slowly, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

"You look... different." He said. She looked incredible, but he couldn't admit that out loud. Especially while she was so angry. Then it struck him and he remembered why she was there. "I swear to you, I di-"

"If the next words out of your mouth are going to be a lie," Clover started, slowly advancing at him, her arrow still aimed. "Then save it. Why did you kill Walter?" She growled, hurt and anger evident in her eyes.

Arrow put a hand on Dig's shoulder, silently telling him to lower the gun. He had to make her understand the truth. But why would she believe him? She knows that he'd used to be a killer. For a moment, he thought about revealing himself to her. Explaining to her that he was his step son and that he loved Walter like family. But what if in her anger, she turns him in. Could he trust her? He decided against it, avoiding the risk of her turning him in. He needed to catch this imposter, the one he and Dig referred to as 'the Dark Archer'.

"Clover, _please,_ you have to trust me." He started off as she closed the distance between them. She was now standing about a foot away from him. She dropped her bow and returned the arrow to her quiver. She swiftly pulled out her katana and held it against his neck.

Her anger was causing her to act without thinking. She didn't want to kill the Arrow, but she was beyond disgusted with the man before her. She knew that it was him that killed Walter because she saw him with her own eyes. Granted, she couldn't tell him that without revealing who she is. What possible reason could he give her to trust him? And how dare he give her a bullshit speech about not killing, then do something like this?

"You're a hypocrite." She stated through clenched teeth. "Why should I trust you? Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?" Arrow exhaled. He knew it wouldn't be difficult to disarm Clover, but he didn't want to fight her.

"I didn't kill Walter Steele." He spoke as sincerely as he could, his blue eyes boring into hers. She stared back at him, her eyes radiating ferocity. "Just give me a chance to explain."

"You want me to listen to you? Meet me in the alley in two minutes. Alone. Bring your weapon of choice." She growled, swiftly tucking her katana back into the reserved strap and leaving the lair. Once she was gone he looked down at Dig.

"If you need me, I'll be watching the camera from here." Dig assured. Arrow nodded, attaching the quiver to his back and picking up his bow. He walked to his case of arrows and assortment of blades, grabbing a katana as well.

It was clear from the look in her eyes that she was ready for a fight. If that was what it would take to get her to hear him out, then he was ready.

"I guess it's finally Arrow vs. Clover." Dig said, watching Arrow leave the lair, then swiveling around in the chair to face the computer. He switched the surveillance over to the camera overlooking the alleyway and picked up his beer, taking a sip. "This is gonna be interesting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your continued support. It is beyond appreciated! The next chapter will be up soon, but I'm currently working on My Light in the Dark, (which from now on will be referred to as MLD). Please leave your questions and comments and I'll be sure to reply ASAP! :)


	8. Choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,
> 
> Just a quick update: I've been feeling very weak this month. I'm constantly tires and have no appetite. The bad news is that my previous diagnoses was accurate. The good news is that my condition is stage 2, and so there is a decent, (not 100%) chance that I won't become terminal.
> 
> Fingers crossed!

Oliver stepped out into the Verdant alleyway, decked out in his Arrow gear, a lone katana tucked into the holster on his hip, and his bow in hand. He really didn't want to fight Clover. He'd felt like he was making progress with her when she'd come to the lair last time, but here they were, back at square one.

Clover was definitely well trained, and he knew that she would typically be a strong opponent, but he'd noticed that she was emotionally out of it. He hoped that he would be able to use that to his advantage, but still hurt her as little as possible.

There was something about her that attracted him. Granted, his feelings for Felicity were strong. She was beautiful, a bit shy, genius-level smart, and sometimes a babbling mess. But she was amazing. She was someone that he could settle down with. Anytime he thought about his attraction to Clover- both physical and personality wise- he felt an instant pang of guilt.

Felicity was a dream, and the previous night proved that. In his dark moment, (losing Walter and even worse, to an Arrow copycat), she swooped in and beamed her light. She warmed his heart, allowed him to cope, and not to mention the amazing night in her bed. Felicity was endearing and much different from the long line of women from his past. His 'little black book' was thicker than dictionary, and yet, not a single one of those women compared to Felicity.

So why couldn't he stop his mind from gravitating towards Clover?

Clover was the complete opposite of Felicity. She was loud and annoyingly sassy. She was rude, but incredibly sexy. Though she beyond annoyed Oliver, the leather clad bombshell still reeled him in. He'd been dreaming about her and Felicity day in and day out. His morning routine now included a long shower so he could get his release, murmuring their names all the while.

In all honesty, Oliver was truly confused.

But at the same time, who was he kidding? If the Count were to find out that Oliver Queen was Arrow, being in a relationship with Felicity would only make her a target. The Count would surely use Felicity to get to him. Hell, and the Count wasn't the only one. Any of his enemies, and heaven knows he's made a ton of them, could find out his identity and use the same tactics. That was out of the question, maybe he should stay away from Felicity. No way could he ever put such an innocent, beautiful soul in harms way like that. He would do anything to protect her, but protecting the rest of the city at the same time would mean that he can't be there for her 24/7. Especially now, with this Dark Archer on the loose.

No, he couldn't be with Felicity. He really did like her a lot and he could tell that she'd felt the same, but he needed to keep her safe. He would never forgive himself if something had happened to her because someone wanted to get to him.

On second hand, Clover was tough and could hold her own should someone try to attack her. He wouldn't have to worry so much about keeping her safe. He'd be able to talk to her about all of his Arrow-related problems. Hell, they'd probably even work together. They'd be able to fulfill his fantasy of tearing off her leather, bending her over the computer desk in the lair, and fucking her senseless, while wearing nothing but their masks.

And speaking of masks, maybe they'd get so close that they'd become comfortable enough to reveal themselves to each other. He would love to see the beautiful face underneath the mask. The face of the tough woman who had dared come into his city- into his territory- and held her own against him. He was intrigued by how dark, sexy, and mysterious she was.

But why was he even thinking of Clover this way? She had just broke in to his foundry, (yet again), and had been ready to kill him. It's safe to say, she was far from interested in being in any kind of relationship with him.

And speaking of the now-silver-haired bombshell, she was standing about ten feet away from him. Her feet pivoted about shoulder-width apart, a katana ready in each hand. Dammit, why had he only brought one? At least he was well trained, he bet he could still hold his own against her even with one katana. He noticed a gleaming piece of metal, a chrome version of her lipstick color, strapped to the outside of her left thigh. She looked different, but the same. Either way, still attractive. Dammit, had she gotten more sexy since the last time they'd met?

The autumn air was a little chilly and the sun was hardly out, though it was around 3:30pm. There were fallen leaves raked over to one side of the alley. The dumpster was on his right side, against the brick wall of Verdant.

"You gonna stare at me all day, Pussycat, or are you gonna draw your weapon?" Clover purred, a fire burning in her eyes. The same fire burned in Oliver's eyes at the sound of the much-hated nickname. He quickly shot out four arrows, all aimed for her shins, which she expertly dodged, hitting them away with her katanas. "Is that all you've got?" She taunted, making Oliver see red.

"How about we drop the weapons?" He growled through clenched teeth. He knew the damage he could do to her with a katana, and regardless of her confidence, he was sure that he was better than her. Clover's pink lips curved into a smile as she tipped her head to one side. She stood straight, katanas pointed downwards at her sides, with one eyebrow raised.

"How about you stop being a little bitch and grow a pair." She laughed, tossing one of her katanas to the side. "Look, now we're even." She smirked, running at him in top speed.

When she got close enough, she swung her sword in an upwards motion. Arrow single-handedly blocked her hit with his bow then all in the same breath, used his opposing arm to push her backwards. She stumbled back a couple of feet, but quickly flicked her arm out to catch his, then yanked his body close to hers and kneed him in his ribs. The sharp impact caused him to bow to clatter to the ground as he dropped to his knees. He felt like she had knocked the wind out of him and the move had caught him completely off guard.

She was better and faster than he had thought. Holding back with her wasn't going to do him any good, he was going to have to unleash the beast. But before Oliver could retaliate, Clover delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of his face, mainly catching his jaw, and knocking him to the ground. If he wasn't the one on the receiving end of her brutality, he would actually find it really hot. He almost felt like she had knocked him into a daze and he blinked a few times in attempt to clear his blurry vision. He watched the sexy, leather clad blonde approach him, as though stalking her prey.

Katana still in hand, she climbed astride him, and of course his testosterone filled brain reminded him of the last time she'd straddled him. Except this time, he saw her arms raise, her blade pointed straight down at his heart, and before she could stab the katana through him, he grabbed it by the blade, thanking heavens for the kevlar gloves. He snatched it and flung it across the alleyway faster than she could expect, then flipped them over all in one breath. Oliver grabbed her small gloved hands and pinned them above her head.

"Get the fuck off of me!" Clover growled angrily. He could see so much pent up anger in her eyes and it became clear that she wasn't just getting at him because of Walter being killed. She was using him as an outlet for all of her pain.

"Clover, it doesn't have to be like this." He said, as gently as the voice modulator would allow, while searching her eyes. She began thrashing underneath him.

"I hate you." She hissed, the fire in her eyes burning even brighter than before. "And I'll kill you if you don't get off of me." She threatened, Oliver let out a humorless laugh.

"I'm afraid you'll kill me if I do let you up." He replied, putting more force into holding her down when he realized that she had almost gotten her hands free. He had his arms on either side of her head, keeping most of his weight off of her.

She released a loud, angry scream, and continued to thrash against him, and he watched as her blue eyes watered up, tears threatening to spill over. "Clover, I'll let you up, but I need to calm down." He said gently, causing her to growl.

"Calm down? Calm down?! You're a murderer and you're a fucking hypocrite!" She yelled out, the tears finally leaking from her eyes. Oliver felt his heart constrict for her.

"Clover, I swear to you, I didn't kill-"

"Don't you fucking lie to me." She bit out through clenched teeth. "I'm the farthest thing from stupid, believe me. Don't you dare fucking lie to me. You give me this whole speech about how I shouldn't kill him. But he's a bad guy! Malcolm Merlyn deserves to die! Walter didn't!" She cried angrily.

So that's what this was about? Merlyn was who she was talking about when she'd confided in him. He knew that Malcolm could be an asshole, but so bad that she'd want him dead? Who did he kill that was close to her? As the thoughts rushed through his head, he noticed that she managed to get her hands free, and she began beating on his chest. Her sharp blows hurt, but he sucked it up. He stared down at her, allowing her to get it all out of her system, as her tears rushed out.

Before he knew it, she was hugging him to her, crying and sobbing into the crook of his neck. The action surprised him and he almost didn't know how to react. He could feel her heart pounding against him, so close as if it was his own. Her arms were tightly wound around his neck and lowered his head down to rest against her silver locks.

"It's okay," he started, not really sure what to say to her. "It's going to be okay." He felt her shudder beneath him as he whispered into her hair, then her small hands were gently pushing against him. He pulled his head back and stared into her eyes. "Clover, I swear on my family, I did not kill Walter. Please. Come down to the foundry and let me explain." He spoke, his voice rough.

She stared back at him silently, her eyes still watery, but the tears no longer falling. She searched his eyes for the truth, only finding sincerity. She wanted to be sure that he wasnt lying and he hoped that he may have gotten through to her somehow. There was something about her eyes that drew him in, and without thinking, he was leaning his head down, pushing his lips to hers.

He expected her to push him away, but was surprised when she angled her head to deepen the kiss. His teeth grazed her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to him. Oliver truly did care about Felicity, but when with Clover, he just couldn't stop himself. There was something so addictive about kissing her. He wasn't sure if he truly did have feelings for her or if he was just lusting after her, but either way, he couldn't get enough. They broke apart quickly when they heard someone clearing their throat, and both turned their attention to see who it was.

"I know you two have shit ton of sexual tension, but it would probably be best if two vigilantes didn't get caught shaboinking by a dumpster in broad daylight." Diggle said with a smirk, standing a few feet from the door. His arms were crossed, showing off his large muscles in the dark blue t-shirt he wore. Oliver quickly climbed off of Clover and stood, holding a hand out to help her up. She refused his hand and stood on her own, dusting off the back of her pants, before bypassing him to collect her katanas.

"You said you wanted to explain. So let's go." She said, pushing her katanas back into their holsters and leading the way back to the lair as if she owned it. She disappeared through the door not waiting for the two men. Diggle looked at Oliver, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Don't say it," Oliver ordered, shaking his head. Diggle cocked his head and his lips formed a hard line.

"I mean you were just bragging about this _Felicity_ a couple of hours ago. So..." the man trailed off, arms still crossed.

"Don't." Oliver said, heading for the door. Diggle laughed and shook his head, following suit.

"Whatever you say, playboy." He joked, earning a quick glare from Oliver.

Clover sat in the same chair that Dig was occupying when she had arrived. She faced the stairs, watching as the two men came down. She was a little upset with herself for caving in. She'd just had her second make out session with Arrow and the guilt was eating her alive. Her feelings for Oliver had been growing quickly, and while she couldn't say that she loved him, she had to admit that she did like him a lot.

She hasn't even seen Arrow unmasked, but she couldn't help her attraction to him, no matter how mad he made her. She was hoping to the Gods above that he wasn't lying to her about Walter. She wanted to believe him but she knew what she saw. Of course she couldn't admit that she saw him because that would open up a new can of worms that she want ready for.

She sighed as Arrow pulled a chair next to her and sat down, facing her. Diggle stood a few feet behind him. She looked between the two men, waiting for one of them to speak. Diggle looked at Arrow, and Arrow looked like he was searching his hands for the right words.

"Contrary to popular belief, I have a life outside of vigilantism, and have things to do today, so I suggest you start talking." Felicity said coldly, as if the scene in the alleyway hadn't just happened. His eyes met hers and he opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again, making her raise a brow at him.

"There's another archer out there." He started. She continued to look at him expectantly. "We've been calling him the Dark Archer. We don't know why he killed Walter Steele yet, but we're working on it. I know there's not much that I can say to you to make you believe me, but I'm telling the truth. I came here to clean up this city, not destroy it, and yes, I killed in the beginning. But I didn't kill any innocents." She could see the sincerity in his eyes, but he was still a killer, and she felt like she needed to be further convinced.

"But you still opted to play 'judge, jury, and executioner'." She stated simply, before sighing. "Are you working for Moira Queen?" She inquired suddenly, surprising him.

"What?" He asked, wrapping his head around the question. She cocked her head at him and folded her arms.

"It's a simple yes or no question." She bit out. Arrow began shaking his head immediately before responding.

"No," he answered. "I don't work for anybody, I work for myself." He began to wonder exactly how much she knew about what his mother was doing, because he was pretty sure that what Felicity told him had something to do Walter's death. "What does Moira Queen have to do with anything?" He asked, anxiously awaiting her answer. She began to think to herself about how much she should tell him.

"I've been doing some research since Walter's death was announced on the news. Moira is hiding something and I'm sure that it's something big..." she trailed off, searching for her next words. Surely she couldn't tell him that Walter had come to her to investigate Moira. "I found out that Walter and one of his employees were digging into whatever Moira's hiding. With Walter dead, I think the employee may be targeted next."

Oliver knew that the employee she was referencing to was Felicity. He was unsure as to why that hadn't crossed his mind. He had suspicions that the Dark Archer was working with his mother. But why hadn't it crossed his mind that if Walter was killed, Felicity may be next? He was going to have to make sure he'd kept an eye on her so that he could keep her safe.

"Who's the employee?" He asked, trying to figure out just how much information Clover knew. He knew that Clover was aware of Felicity since she had openly threatened her in Oliver Queen's office. She contemplated telling him then shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she started. "I'm keeping an eye on her." Oliver wasn't sure how he'd felt about having Clover watch over Felicity. She already knows where Felicity works, does she know where she lives too? He would have to keep an eye on both of them. Clover stared at him for a long moment before he realized that her eyes were on him. "I know this is 'your city' but don't worry. I'll keep her safe. I refuse to watch a bunch of innocents drop like flies because Moira Queen is a conniving bitch."

For some reason her words struck a cord. He almost wanted to defend his mother, but he could tell that Moira Queen was Satan in her eyes. If he was going to get Clover on his side, he couldn't dare defend her. And she was right, his mother was definitely conniving. He glanced back at Diggle, who nodded slightly.

"Okay." He responded, looking back at Clover. "Does this mean that we're okay?" He asked, his blue eyes boring into hers. She sighed before nodding.

"We're okay, but the second I find any firm evidence against you, I will come back and I will neuter you." She threatened sharply.

"Sounds fair." He nodded. "We'll get this guy off the streets. He's been quiet, no appearances since yesterday, but we're working on it."

"Good, I'll be working on it too." She replied. Diggle checked his watch, then grabbed his jacket.

"I've gotta get going." He started. "I'm headed to ARGUS to see if I can find anything else on this guy." He announced, fist bumping Oliver, then turning to Clover and holding his hand out. She smiled before shaking it. "It was good seeing you again, Clover. Even if you did try to kill my partner." He joked.

"It was nice seeing you too, Dig." she started. "Hopefully next time it'll be under better circumstances." Diggle nodded in agreement before heading up the stairs. She crossed her legs, then turned to face Arrow again. His eyes were scanning her body, pupils dilating along the way. She felt chills run through her body when he quickly licked his lips, then swallowed. "See something you like?" She asked teasingly, causing his eyes to shoot up to hers.

"I- um, sorry." He replied, standing to move away from her. A large part of her told her not to do it, but her brain couldn't be stopped. She stood and grabbed his hand before he could get too far. She didn't know why she couldn't stop herself when it came to him. What was it about him that pulled her in so deep? He stopped moving and slowly turned to face her, still at her arms-length.

"Don't make me regret this." She whispered, her eyes nearly as dark as his. Oliver swallowed and he tried to force himself to think about Felicity, but his brain lost the battle with his body and he found himself closing the distance between them.

Clover's body was against his, the top of her head reaching only below his chin. He slowly leaned his head down, leaving just a bit of space between their lips. He was giving her, (and himself), the chance to back out of it, because he knew that once he started, he wouldn't be able to stop. His left hand was still in her right one. He felt his leather pants getting uncomfortably tight as her tongue flicked out to wet her fuchsia lips, and her left hand slowly slid up his chest before resting on the back of his hood. She tiptoed slightly and pressed her soft lips against his. He slid his right arm around her waist, pulling her closer so that she could feel the effect she had on him.

Their lips continued to move together slowly, until she let go off his hand and had both arms wrapped around his neck. He bit on her bottom lip, tasting her lipstick, as he slid his hands down to her butt, giving it a rough squeeze. She gasped into his mouth, and he swore that he was going to bust apart at the seams. He slid his hands to the back of her thighs and lifted her as she wrapped her legs around his waist, refusing to break the kiss. Her arms tightened around his neck as she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, making him shudder. He quickly carried her to the med bay, sitting her on top of the metal cot and standing between her legs.

"On a scale of one-to-ten how sanitary is this thing?" She asked against his lips, making him smirk. He pulled his face back from hers, hands on her waist, and looked at her amused expression.

"We clean it after every use." He said, wanting to rid himself of the voice modulator, but knowing that she would probably recognize his voice as Oliver Queen. "Is this weird?" He asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" She asked, knowing that if she was going to stop herself, now would be the time. But for some reason, she really didn't want to.

"The masks... should we..?" He asked, giving her a clear picture of what he meant. She shook her head furiously.

"No revealing our identities." She replied. She didn't want that kind of attachment to him. This was going to be a one time thing. "Besides, it's more fun this way." She whispered, leaning forward to kiss him again. "Just open your pants." She muttered against his lips, surprising herself.

Oliver was beyond turned on. He knew that he shouldn't be doing this, but he truly couldn't stop, and a part of him really didn't want to. He shoved his tongue into her war zone of a mouth and her tongue battled his for dominance. He made quick work of opening his pants, allowing himself to spring free, as she struggled to kick her boots off.

He bent down and unzipped them to pull them off, then pushed her to lean back. She lifted her hips so he could pull her pants down, but he only removed one of her legs from the tight leather before she sat up and scooted to the edge of the cot. He could see the desire dancing in her eyes and knew she couldn't wait anymore. He couldn't either, so he swiftly pulled her thong to the side and pushed himself fully into her wetness as she cried out, squeezing his shoulders.

He stood in place momentarily, giving her a chance to adjust to his length as her tight warmth enveloped him. She licked her lips, wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, then put her lips to his. She forced his mouth open with her tongue before running the tip of it over the roof of his mouth. Arrow shuddered, then closed his teeth around the invader and bit down gently, making her moan into his mouth.

Their lips and tongues continued to duel as he pulled almost all the way out of her, before slamming in again. Her sharp cry muffled by his mouth was music to his ears, and he continued pumping into her. She muttered a string of profanites as she threw her head back, her hands resting on his shoulders.

"God, you're so tight." He murmured, feeling like he wouldn't be able to hold back long, which was unusual for him. She smirked wickedly at his appraisal then leaned forward into him.

"I want it harder, Arrow." She mumbled against his lips, as he continued his fast paced thrusts. She shocked herself with how brazen she was being. When she was dressed as Clover, she became a whole new person. He slowed to a stop and her eyes widened slightly when he began to pull out. "What are you doing?" She whined breathlessly, refusing to move her legs from around his waist. He smirked at her whines of protest as he started kissing her neck, and she angled her head to give him better access.

"I have this fantasy... about bending you over... and I'll be damned if I don't live it out." He murmured against her skin. Felicity Smoak would've blushed hearing something like this, but Clover put a gloved hand on his chest and pushed him back, before hopping off of the cot, one of her pants legs dragging. She turned her back to him, placing her hands on the cot and leaning over it, before looking at him over her shoulder.

"You mean like this?" She asked, her teeth grazing over her bottom lip, not even puckering her lipstick. He pressed his hardness up against her butt, grabbing her hips and leaning to whisper into her ear.

"Exactly like this." He murmured, caressing her sides with his strong, gloved hands. She pushed back against him, making him groan.

"So what are you waiting for?" She asked rhetorically. He smirked and stood straight, positioning himself at her entrance and feeling her wetness. He could hear her breath quicken with anticipation, and teasingly rubbed his tip against her clit, getting even harder from the sounds of her moans. He entered her with one sharp thrust, the new position allowing him to get deeper than before. Arrow began his fast, rhythmic thrusts, each pump harder than the last.

"Bozhe, ty tak khorosho sebya chuvstvuyesh'. {Oh God, you feel so good.}" He groaned, not even sure if the silver haired goddess understood Russian. Her moans echoed through the lair and he tightened his hold on her waist. Her next words surprised him and truly brought his fantasy to life.

"Ya ryadom, tak blizko, idya... vpered! {I'm close, so close, going... to come!}" She screamed out, as she fell apart in his arms. Just the sound of her speaking Russian was enough to push him to the edge, and he groaned as he emptied his load into her. His left hand flew to the cot, as he stood behind her, trying to steady himself. His right arm wrapped around her waist and he leaned down to her ear.

"You're already so fucking hot... but you speaking Russian is the sexiest thing I've ever heard." He whispered, and she clenched around him twice in response. "You'd better stop that unless you're ready for round two." He couldn't help it. He was so intoxicated by the woman before him. Even if he didn't know her real name. Even if he didn't know anything about her. Was it still considered cheating if Arrow slept with her and not Oliver Queen? Her giggle brought him out of his thoughts.

"Move," she demanded, a small smile still on her face. She couldn't believe what she had just done. He was just so charismatic that she truly couldn't stop, and she knew that if she didn't leave now, they would definitely go for round two. He pulled out of her dramatically slow and walked away.

He returned only thirty seconds later handing her a small towel, which she accepted gratefully. She cleaned herself up, her back still to him. By the time she was zipping up her boots, he had her hands on her hips as he stood behind her.

"Just can't get enough of me, can you?" She joked, standing up. He had made a decision. Granted it wasn't an easy one, considering how he felt about Felicity. But it would at least keep her out of harms way, right? He spun Clover around to face him and wrapped his arms around her waist. She looked surprised by the action, and place her hands on his biceps, looking up at him. He just stared into her eyes not saying anything. "What?" She asked, tipping her head to one side.

"I want you." He stated simply, not breaking eye contact. He could hear her swallow and she began to say something but didn't. He knew that this was probably a one time thing for her, but he was addicted. He was wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it.

"I'm pretty sure you just had me." She smiled jokingly, but clearly unsure of how to respond to him. He smiled back down at her.

"And I'm not opposed to having you many more times," he started. "But I want you as in... I want to be with you." He put it out on the line, preparing himself for rejection. Clover bit her lip and blinked a few times. Just earlier that day she was with Oliver and now here she was sleeping with Arrow, only not sleeping at all. What kind of a cold hearted person had she become? She knew that she needed to make a choice, one that wouldn't come easy. But she needed some assistance. This wasn't a choice she could make alone. She needed her best friend to help her with this one.

"Let me think about it?" She whispered to him, her eyes apologetic. She could see his poker face being put on as his lips straightened into a line. He nodded in understanding, his eyes gentle. She stood on her toes and pulled him into a hug. With her lips at his ear, she whispered, "It's not a 'no'. It's a strong maybe... just let me sleep on it, okay?" He pulled out of her hug, his hands still on her waist.

"Take all the time you need." He replied.

"And if I don't want an unmasked relationship?" She asked, seriously, knowing that it was much too soon for her to reveal herself to him. She liked him, but who's to say she could trust him with her most prominent secret? He smirked at her question before answering.

"That would be interesting... I think my life could use a little interesting." He finished, implying that he would be okay with it.

"You're the Starling vigilante, I think your life is pretty interesting as is." She joked lightly.

"I thought so too, but I'll get bored fast without a certain annoying, hot, and smart ass of a silver fox." He replied, and smiled once he saw that he made her smile.

"Annoying?" She asked, raising her brow at him.

"And hot." He answered. She giggled, before backing away from him.

"I have some stuff to do, but... I'll see you soon." She said gently as he nodded. She situated herself with her artillery and Arrow walked with her back up the stairs. They stopped at the door when he put a hand on her hip. She turned around to face him and his face was just inches from hers.

"How do I get in contact with you? You're the most untraceable person I've ever come across." He whispered, his lips seeming to move closer to hers.

"I'll drop you off a burner cell the next time I see you." She smiled, then stood on her toes to kiss him. She could feel him start to harden against her and she giggled before shaking her head. "Bye, Arrow." She whispered against his lips before ducking out of the door.

Goodness, what was she doing to him?

**Felicity's Apartment**

Felicity got home to Laurel already waiting for her in her bedroom. Laurel looked at her expectantly and Felicity gave her a small smile. Laurel hawked her down, then bust out laughing, making Felicity twist her face in confusion.

"What's so funny?" She asked, genuinely confused, only making Laurel laugh harder.

"You. Are. A. Dirty. DIRTY. Girl!" She answered in a fit of giggles. Felicity frowned.

"I mean I was about to go take a shower," she joked, wondering if and how Laurel knew what she had just done. She felt the guilt hit her again like a ton of bricks.

"Check your ear, Lis." She said, folding her arms. Just then, Felicity began silently cursing herself as her index finger and thumb removed the comm device from her right ear. She couldnt even bring herself to make eye contact with her friend. "Don't worry, I stopped listening when I heard the moaning and tuned back in just in time to hear him call you annoying." Laurel laughed, making Felicity blush.

"Is this the part where you tell me that I messed up?" Felicity asked, fiddling with the small device in her hands. Laurel cocked her head at the blonde. Before walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"You didn't mess up, babe. Do you regret it?" She asked.

"I don't think so." Felicity shrugged. Laurel cupped her face gently and forced her to make eye contact.

"Don't beat yourself over this," she started. Felicity opened her mouth to speak, but Laurel cut her off. "And don't tell me that you aren't because masked or not, I can read you like a book. Have you and Oliver verbally established your relationship?" Felicity thought to herself for a moment.

"No... I guess we didn't." She replied.

"So you have nothing to feel guilty about. Oliver isn't your boyfriend, and playboy is his middle name. Besides, you're young and if you wanna test the waters, you have ever right to do so." Laurel explained, grabbing Felicity's hand and leading her to the bed before they sat beside each other. Felicity unfastened her quiver, letting it fall on the bed behind her. Then removed her mask and wig, placing them on the bed as well. "Now, what is your heart telling you?"

"I... I don't know. My heart feels like it's torn evenly between the two. Like with Oliver, he's been so sweet from the beginning. He makes me nervous, but in a good way. I start babbling and getting tongue tied, and he's so patient with me." Felicity started off, staring into space and fiddling with her left ear, while her right hand was in Laurel's.

"And Arrow?" Laurel asked, and Felicity smiled immediately.

"He's a bit rough around the edges, but then again so am I. He knows me as Clover so it not like I have to hide my being a vigilante from him. And speaking of, that's another thing. I can talk to him about all of this vigilante stuff, I mean not that I can't talk to you, you're my best friend, that's why I'm talking to you about this, but that's besides the point. The point is, I can talk to him about these things and have him be able to relate to me and empathize with me. And he told me that he wants to be with me." Felicity explained, hardly breathing between her words. Laurel looked at her expectantly, making her raise an eyebrow.

"And the sex?" Laurel asked with a smirk.

"Mind blowing... absolutely mind blowing and we didn't even get naked. Then he started speaking in Russian while we were doing it and it was just sooo hot. Oh, and he told me that he fantasizes about me... well, not me, Clover." Felicity answered without thought, then blushed at her own words and looked at Laurel to see her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

"Umm... wow." She smiled at her blonde friend. "So... what does Felicity want?" Felicity looked at her and sighed.

"A nice glass of Chateau Margaux, but great Google, at four grand a bottle, I will never." Felicity joked, bringing a small smile to Laurel's face.

"Don't dodge the question, Lis. Oliver or Arrow, and no you are not making a 'pros and cons' list to help make your decision." Laurel said with a smirk, knowing that nine times out of ten, that was Felicity's plan. Felicity just shrugged not knowing what to say.

"I really need to make a list." She replied, leaning down to unzip her boots, then kick them off.

"So make a verbal one and keep it short." Laurel ordered. Felicity turned her body, putting her feet up on the bed and laying back, so that her head was on Laurel's jean-clad lap. "Let's start with Ollie."

"Pros: He's hot, his body is hot, he's sweet, smart, funny, attentive, etc. Cons: He's Moira Queen's son and even bigger con, he's about to become the CEO of QC, hence becoming my boss." Felicity listed off, staring at the ceiling in deep thought.

"And Arrow? Laurel asked, twirling a small section of Felicity's hair between her fingers. Felicity released a sigh.

"Pros: I don't need to see his whole face to know that he's hot." She laughed. "He's a fellow vigilante and if we're together he can be out on the field with me. Being with him gives me a rush... it's so exhilarating. And he doesn't know me as Felicity Smoak. I get to keep my private life, private and have fun. Cons... I can't think of any right now. It's almost like we're match-made."

"Are you looking for a serious, long lasting relationship?" Laurel asked, and Felicity knew that her answer to this question was the deal-breaker.

"No... it's just... it's not the time for something super serious." Felicity replied. Laurel smoothed her friend's hair back and looked her in the eye.

"Then I think you've made your decision, hun." She smiled lightly and Felicity smiled back at her. "You need to end things with him before they do get serious. I care about you both, and I don't want to see either of you hurt." Felicity nodded at Laurel's words then sat up.

"I'll do it tonight.. after the vigil." She said solemnly.

"Good. Now get out of your Clover gear and start getting ready. We have an hour and a half until it starts." Laurel replied.

**Walter's Memorial**

After much debate, Felicity landed on a modest black dress, that ended a few inches above her knees, with black tights underneath. She wore a navy denim jacket and a pair of black pumps, with her hair in its signature ponytail. She and Laurel found Oliver and his family when they got there. He hugged her and thanked her for coming, and they held hands throughout the vigil.

There were various news stations recording and Moira really had the tears going. Throughout the memorial, they'd stolen a few glances, (more like glares), at one another, but said nothing aside from their hellos. Oliver hadn't gotten the chance to speak to his mother yet about what Felicity told him, but he intended on speaking with her later that night. He wouldn't tell Thea about it though. She'd already been through so much in the last few years and didn't deserve to go through more. She'd been lied to enough as is, but this one was too major to tell the truth about.

Later that night when he'd spoken to his mother about it, she was devastated that he'd disowned her, but thankful that he opted to keep up appearances for the sake of his little sister. He didn't mention anything about Walter, the Dark Archer, or Felicity's theory about Moira planning something bigger. He'd save that conversation for Arrow, but on a different day.

The vigil lasted about an hour and the front of Queen Consolidated was littered with flickering candles, flowers, and balloons. Moira then went up to the front, where there was a microphone and a podium. This was the moment that all of the reporters were waiting for.

"Good evening, everyone." The overly-poised woman began. "As you can imagine, it's been a very difficult 24 hours for my family. Walter Steele was an amazing husband and I know he was like a second father to my children. He will be dearly missed. So in honor of Walter, I'd like us to all have a moment of silence." Everyone held silent for what seemed like an eternity before Moira spoke again. "Now ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the new CEO of Queen Consolidated. I trust that he will hold Robert and Walter's legacy in great hands. My son, Oliver Queen." She smiled, and applauded along with everyone else there. Oliver smiled down at Felicity before heading to the front to make his speech.

"Good evening, everyone, and thank you, Mother, for the beautiful introduction. There's not too much that I want to say tonight because this night is an ode to Walter Steele and that's where I would like to keep the focus. First and foremost, thank you to all of you for coming out tonight and honoring Walter. While I'm thankful for the CEO opportunity, it is well before we scheduled and so I just ask that you all bear with me. I will do everything in my power to ensure that I live up to the Queen name, and that I make Walter and my father proud. Thank you." He finished off eloquently, with his dazzling smile.

Everyone applauded again and it was only moments before people began to leave. Moira had gone home with Thea and Laurel made up an excuse to leave so that Felicity and Oliver could talk. When it was down to the two of them, Felicity asked Oliver to take a walk with her and he agreed. They were strolling through the city in silence, just enjoying the peace of the night when she finally spoke up.

"So, I guess... I should start talking now." Felicity started, as they walked.

"Do you mind if I... say something first?" He asked, looking down at his feet. Felicity stopped walking, causing him to stop as well, and they turned to face each other.

"Sure, go ahead." She replied with a small smile, seeing the nervousness wash over him. Oliver took a deep breath and held her hands in his.

"I... I've been doing a lot of thinking," he started. "I really like you, Felicity. A lot... but... I don't think it's the best choice for us to have a... relationship of that sort when I'm your CEO." he whispered, hoping that he wasn't hurting her with his words. She gave him a small smile and nodded as a sense of relief washed over her. "I'm sorry." He apologized.

"Oliver, it's okay. I totally understand. I was actually going to say the same thing. I really do like you too, but you're right." She told him, sweetly. He smiled down at her, but wondered if it was a bad decision to end things when Clover hadn't decided yet. He shook the thought away, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. "But you still owe me cooking lessons." She joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Absolutely, but how about Chinese for tonight?" He asked, noticing that they were standing in front of a Chinese restaurant. She nodded in agreement, before they head inside . Oliver found them a booth and they sat across one another.

The waitress came to take their orders, all of her attention focused on Oliver. She was tall, with dark hair and perfect makeup. She was like a carbon copy if Lucy Liu, and Felicity was hit with a quick wave of insecurity.

Truth betold, she had a lot on her mind. The Count was still on the streets, though he'd been a bit quiet. There hadn't been anything new yet, but Felicity really needed to get around to checking her tablet. She had to see what search results had pulled up from the list that Barry emailed her.

Her mind then floated to Arrow. Maybe she should go see him tonight... but who's to say that he'd even be there tonight? Maybe she send a ping to his computer at the lair. She could easily get the IP address of his computer since she knew the address that it was located at. She'd just send him a message and ask him to meet up somewhere. But just so she could tell him what she'd decided, and to give him to burner cell so they could stay in contact. The idea of the masqueraded relationship sent chills tingling up her spine.

Another thing on her mind was Malcolm Merlyn. She hadn't seen him since that day in Oliver's office. Maybe she should go pay him a visit at Merlyn Global tomorrow. Before she knew it, she was making a mental checklist, and this one was definitely high up on it.

Maybe she could go visit Tatsu. When she was in Japan, Tatsu had been her mentor. She taught her in sword combat and helped her find her calling. She would've never thought to try archery if Tatsu hadn't told her about the American archer. The one that she said had been the greatest archer she'd ever seen- at least up until she'd met Felicity. She wondered who he was, then wondered what he would think if he knew that she was better than him.

But anyways, she wanted to visit Tatsu for some trusted advice about Malcolm Merlyn. She wanted to kill him, but she still considered Arrow's advice about killing. But was there even a choice? He killed her mother, he deserved death by her hands. She knew that Tatsu would give her sound advice about whether or not she should kill him.

Some of her previous research had told her about Malcolm's time in Nanda Parbat. She wondered why he went through so much trouble to hide his address on the web, to the point that Felicity Smoak, tech genius, couldn't find it. But she was grateful to find the information that she did. It would give her the upper hand since she knew what she was up against. He was the Ma-

"Felicity?" Oliver voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him and gave a small smile, eyebrows slightly raised in question.

"Hmm?" She asked, getting butterflies from his charming smile. Is Arrow even the right choice? Oliver is just so... Oliver, and he makes her melt just by smiling at her. But what did it matter, Oliver was the one to end things anyways. Maybe she should give Arrow a chance. Besides, like Laurel said, she's young, so why not have some fun. And a "masked relationship" with Arrow did sound pretty fun. She let out a small breath, that she hadn't realized she was holding, and focused on what Oliver was saying.

"What are you having?" He asked gently, while ''Lucy Liu" gave her an annoyed look. She stood like a supermodel with her arms crossed, under her breasts. She had a white, pristine notepad in one hand and a black pen in the other. Felicity placed her order, and Oliver followed suit, before the waitress turned out leave, Felicity's eyes following her away. "Are we okay?" Oliver asked, making Felicity's eyes snap back to his.

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't we be?" She nodded with a small smile, taking her mind off of the leggy waitress.

"Just making sure..." he trailed off. "You seemed kind of distracted and you were doing that thing... where you kinda furrow your brows and bite your lip." He smiled.

God, he loved it when she did that. He had to hold him back from grabbing her face and planting one on her because her red lips were tantalizing. He hoped he was making the right choice here. Maybe he could do it. Maybe he could keep Felicity safe. The extra effort would definitely be worth it. But it was too late for that. He'd already ended things, and she agreed with him. But he'd take her anyway he could have her, so he'd settle for being her friend.

"I was just thinking about some things, no big deal." She said, snapping out if her daze and reverting to her cheery self. "So, that was a nice speech you gave." She smiled.

"Yeah?" He smiled, "It was very impromptu... look there was something else that I wanted to talk to you about." He said, his voice taking on a serious tone.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice adopting a similar one.

"I spoke to my mother," He started off, making her heart pound in her chest. She nodded, but remained silent. "I didn't say much, or that you told me anything. I just let her know that I know her secret, and where I stand with her... but Felicity, I'm worried about you." Felicity cocked her head a bit.

"And why is that? Because she had a goon break into my apartment?" She asked with a small smile.

"That and I'm sure that Walter's death is related to the investigating you two were doing." He answered.

"So what are you suggesting?" She asked, fiddling with her fingers in her lap. Oliver took a deep breath.

"As CEO of QC... I..." he trailed off, Felicity's eyes trained on his face. "I want to give you a... promotion." Her face twisted into confusion. What did his worry for her have to do with a promotion.

"What kind of promotion?" She asked suspiciously, as the waitress returned with their food. They quickly thanked her, there returned to their conversation. Oliver put on his most charming smile before answering.

"I would like to offer you the position of my Executive Assistant." He smiled. Felicity paused with her chopsticks just inches from her mouth and smiled back.

"You're serious?" She asked, more of a statement than. "No offense, but no thanks." She replied, popping the piece of chicken into her mouth. Oliver frowned at her response.

"Why not?" He asked, giving his best puppy-dog impression. She smiled at his attempt and shook her head, placing her chopsticks gently on her plate. Then she folded her hands on top of the table and leaned forward just a bit .

"Allow me to let you in on a littke secret." She started off with a smile. "I'm not an alumni of the 'Secretarial Academy'. I went to MIT and double majored in computer science and cyber securites. I have a dual masters, that only took me three years to obtain. I'm already highly overqualified for my position as an... IT girl. No way am I downgrading to your secretary." She finished, leaning back with a smile still on her face. Oliver smiled at her spunkiness and let out a nervous chuckle.

"Felicity." He said gently. "Please, I will beg if I have to. Aside from the fact that there is no one at QC that I would trust more as my EA, I need to be able to watch over you. I need to make sure you're safe." He finished, seriously.

"Oliver, we work in the same building. I'll be fine." She smiled, attempting to reassure him.

"Right," he sighed. "But I can't just travel down eighteen flights, anytime I feel the need to check on you." Felicity sighed and opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her. "Felicity, please... please." She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Fine." She replied. "But I'm not getting you coffee... Ever." She warned him, then continued to eat. Oliver laughed before nodding.

"Agreed." He smiled.

**Rendezvous Point, 11:30pm**

Clover paced on back and forth on the rooftop, anxiously awaiting the man of the hour. Her plan of sending the message to the Arrow Cave computer. Arrow had promptly replied, telling her how amazing she was that she was able to do that. He then agreed to meet her on the roof of an abandoned warehouse, in the lower east side of the Glades, at her desired time.

Of course, her being who she is, she'd gotten there ten minutes early, and spent all of that ten minutes pacing anxiously. She could feel the air change around her, and knew that he was standing a few feet behind her. She instantly stopped pacing and turned around to see him standing there.

"Hi," she smiled, giving him a small wave.

"Hi," he replied in the same tone, she slowly approached him, until she was about a foot away, the pulled the burner cell from her waist band. She held her palm out and waited for him to take it.

"My number's already in there and so is the Flash, in case you ever need him. I'll come give you a new one every two weeks." She explained as he stuck it in his pocket. They stood in front of each other, a brief awkward silence lingering between them. "So... I've decided." She said softly, staring up at him."

"And what did you decide?" He asked gently. She put her hands on his shoulders, then wove them around his neck, making him smile. His glove hands landed on her waist as he stared down at her. She stood on her tip toes, pulling his head down to capture his lips. The kiss quickly escalating, and they began grabbing and groping one another. She could feel the adrenaline rushing through her veins and his teeth grazed over her bottom lip. She smirked against his lips before pulling back.

"I decided that this is what I want." She whispered, still close enough to feel his breath on her lips. He smiled down at her before kissing her once more.

"Good, because I want this, too." He replied, making her bright smile illuminate his night.

"Good." She muttered, pressing another kiss on his lips, his stubble tickling her chin.

"1-4-1." He said, and she cocked her head confused.

"What?" She asked, unable to keep the grin off of her face, as she moved her hands down to his chest.

"The code to the lair." He smirked. "You don't have to break in anymore." She laughed, thinking about how easy it was to break in.

"I can upgrade that for you if you want. It literally takes me less than 5 minutes to get in." She teased. "Oh, and those computers. It hurts my soul seeing them so poorly setup." she frowned with a shake of her head.

"I'd appreciate that." He smiled, pulling her body flush against his, before leaning down for another intoxicating kiss.

The Next Day- Queen Consolidated

Felicity was having a rough morning. It was her first day as Oliver's Executive Assistant, which hadn't proven to be more that she could handle. She woke up late and hadn't had time to make coffee before heading out. Being the clumsy woman she is, she stubbed her toe on the edge of the coffee table in her frenzy to get ready for work.

She settled for coffee from a little cafe along the way, which she attempted to drink on her drive to work. The keyword being attempted, seeing as she'd ended up spilling a decent amount of it on her pink cardigan. She ended up having to wear her dress without it, which wasn't a big deal, but it showed a bit more cleavage than she'd wanted. It was a sleeveless v-neck dress that stopped just above her knees, and tightly hugged her every curve.

Oliver had noticed the dress when she came into work that morning. Was she torturing him? Because it sure seemed like it. Her hair was in it usual ponytail, leaving her neck exposed, and heaven almighty, was he tempted to bury his face in it. He had shaken his head free of the thoughts, and headed to his office, but not before stopping by to wish her a good morning. His mother had scheduled him a meeting with Malcolm Merlyn who was meant to help him with his CEO related questions.

Felicity sat at her computer feeling bored beyond belief. She had Oliver's planner in front of her, as she entered the information into his online calendar. She felt her annoyance growing as she thought about the new position she held. She was more annoyed that he kept referring to her as his Executive Assistant, as though that wasn't just a fancy term for 'secretary'.

She stood from her desk, and glanced into his office, (that used to be Walter's), to see him smiling at her. He offered her a small wave, and she responded with her fakest smile, before heading to the executive break room. After the morning's fiasco, she really deserved a decent cup of coffee. When she got inside she poured herself a generous cup, and sipped it slowly as she focused on the floor.

Executive Assistant... pfft! The nerve of him. She didn't need him to protect her, she could protect herself, and probably protect him too while she was at it. She turned her head back to the coffee maker then sat her paper cup on the counter. She poured the last of the coffee from the pot to her cup, then checked to make sure no one was coming towards the room.

She grabbed the glass coffee pot and put it to the side before unplugging the machine. Grabbing a hold of it with both hands, she raised it above her head, and threw it forcefully to the floor. It cracked in a few places, and some small piece flew off, but didn't break completely. She then picked it up, tossing it into the trash can, then went for the coffee pot. She slammed it into the garbage, hearing it shatter on impact, and smiled to herself before taking her cup and going back to her desk.

Soon enough it was 10:45am and Malcolm Merlyn was approaching her desk. She immediately scowled at the despicable man before him, then stood at her desk.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, folding her arms beneath her chest, and glaring at him. Malcolm flashed her a bright smile before responding.

"Don't worry, Miss Smoak. I'm here to see Oliver, not you." He said as politely as possible.

"Well you're not scheduled so you'll need to make an appointment if you want to see Mr. Queen." She retorted.

"Oh no, dear, Moira set this one up personally." He smiled back.

"You two are up to something." She whispered, more to herself than to him.

"Who, me? No, not at all." He smirked, innocently.

"I'm blonde, but I'm not that blonde." She quickly replied, annoyance written all over her face.

"If you were so smart, Miss Smoak, you'd stay out of my way. That is, unless you'd like me to give you a one way ticket to see your mother." He growled, and in a flash, Felicity saw red and nothing but. "Now if you can lead me to Oliver's- I mean "Mr. Queen's" office, that'd be great." Felicity didn't say anything, but instead made her way to Oliver's office, Malcolm trailing behind her. She knocked on the glass, getting his attention, before opening his door. He stood from his desk and moved to walk towards the door.

"Mr. Merlyn is here to see you." She told him with a forced smile, before Malcolm passed her to enter the office. He stood by the chair across from Oliver's desk, his eyes glued to her.

"Thank you." Oliver smiled at her. "And Miss Smoak, do you mind to get some coffee for Mr. Merlyn and I?" He asked politely. She smirked at him and cocked her head.

"Well, I would Mr. Queen, but is appears that someone broke the coffee maker." She said with a fake smile, as his genuine one faded. "Violently, might I add." She bit out, her voice low. Oliver gave Felicity a knowing look before shaking his head with a smirk.

"That's a shame." He began. "Thank you anyways, Miss Smoak."

She had decided. She was definitely going to kill Malcolm Merlyn.

And she was going to do it tonight.

Clover's Lair, 9:00pm

Felicity had just finished strapping in all of her weapons, and when she turned around Laurel was handing her the comm device. Laurel was worried, and their conversation earlier that day was more than enough proof. Felicity had went straight to Laurel's apartment after work. She told her everything from becoming Oliver's secretary, to the coffee pot's death, to Malcolm Merlyn.

Earlier

"I'm going to kill him, Laurel." Felicity said, storming into her friend'a apartment, and she meant it.

"Lis, are you positive that you want to do this?" Laurel asked her gently.

"What other choice do I have, Laurel?!" She snapped, angrily. "I know you're a lawyer and all, but sometimes legal justice doesn't solve anything. It fucking Malcolm Merlyn, he'll be out of prison before he's even cuffed!"

"Look, I'm going to support you either way, Lis. I just want you to be sure that you're making the right decision."

"He killed my mother, Laurel. There is no decision to make."

Now

"Please be careful out there, Lis." Laurel said, pulling her friend into a tight hug. Felicity wrapped her arms around Laurel's waist.

"I will." She promised, before pulling away to put on her wig and mask. She left the lair, before Laurel could change her mind, and hopped on her Harley, beelining for Merlyn Global.

The building was empty and most of the lights were off, but his office light was still on. She entered the building, but not before easily bypassing the security code. Once in side her boots soundlessly carried her to the elevator, which she rode up to the top floor. She knew that Merlyn wasn't going to go down without a fight, but she was ready. She was a woman on a mission, and absolutely nothing was going to get in her way.

The elevator dinged, signalling that she had reached her destination. She slowly stepped out of the elevator, pulling her bow from the strap on her thigh, and pushing the button to open it. Then taking an arrow from her quiver, she readied it in her bow, before slowly entering his office.

Malcolm stood with his back to her, in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a glass of brown liquor in hand. She aimed the arrow at his glass, just as he was lifting it to take drink, and released it. The alcohol splattered to his carpet along with shards of glass, and he dropped his hand before slowly turning around to face her.

"Well, that was rude." He smirked, seeing Clover's arrow pointed at him. "You know what else is rude? Breaking and entering."

"When I'm done with you, my break in will be the least of your worries." She retorted, slowing advancing on him. He laughed out loud, making her blood boil over.

"Is that right?" He asked, as the elevator dinged. Her head snapped back to see who was entering the office, and was slightly annoyed that he was there. He walked into the office, standing beside her, and she refocused her aim on Malcolm.

"What are you doing here?" She growled angrily, not looking at him.

"I'm here to stop you before you do something you can't take back." Arrow said, placing a hand on the small of her back.

"What is he, your boyfriend?" Malcolm teased, flaring her anger tenfold.

"Shut up!" She yelled, her eyes watering with frustration.

"What are you waiting for?! Shoot me!" Malcolm yelled, holding his arms out with a smile.

"Clover, you don't have to do this." Arrow whispered to her urgently.

"Don't listen to him! You're so big and bad, Clover, do it already! Kill me, Clover!" Malcolm further antagonized her.

"Clover-" Arrow started.

"Do it already!" Malcolm pushed.

"Shut the fuck up!" She screamed. "The both of you!"

"You're no killer." Malcolm laughed. "You're a pussy, just like your sperm donor of a father!" That was the finally straw, and without thinking, Clover rapidly fired four arrows into his chest, watching him stumble before going limp and collapsing to a lifeless heap.

She gasped at the scene in front of her. She did it. She killed him.

Her bow slipped from her hand to the floor and she dropped to her knees, releasing a sharp, pained cry.

"Lis?" She heard Laurel's voice coming in through the comm device. She couldn't speak as the sobs began to wrack her body. She actually killed him. Was she any better than he was? She was now a muderer, just like he was. "Honey, you there?" Laurel's voice sounded again.

"He's dead." She whispered, as she felt strong arms envelope her body.

"Shh, don't cry," Arrow whispered into her ear. He was kneeled down in front of her, holding her tightly in his arms, as she continued to sob.

"I killed him!" She cried. "I'm a killer."

"Stop that, you did what you felt like you had to." Arrow told, rubbing a soothing hand across her back until she had no more tears to cry.

"How did you know where to find me?" Clover asked suddenly.

"I'm called you and your friend, Overwatch, answered. She told me where you were and what you were planning." He replied.

"Sorry, Lis." She heard her friend's voice in her ear.

"It's okay, you were just looking out for me." She reassured her as Arrow stood and helped her to her feet. He gently cupped her face, then slanted his mouth over hers. She rested her hands on his waist, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She poured every emotion she was feeling into it before she heard Laurel in her ear.

"You know I can hear your make out session from here and I really hope this isn't going to become a regular thing now that you guys are seeing each other." She said, causing Felicity to break the kiss.

"Sorry, Overwatch," she murmured, guiltily.

"Come to the lair with me," Arrow told her, as he picked up and handed her the chrome bow. She pushed the button to retract it.

"I'll meet you there soon." She smiled faintly. "I just need a few minutes to myself." He nodded and kissed her again, before leaving the office. Oliver rode the elevator down, before hearing Diggle in his ear.

"So, she killed your sister's father." His deep voice mentioned. Oliver sighed, he really did hope he'd be able to stop her. The main reason was that she could never take back her actions. She was going to have to live with it. And if her reaction to killing Malcolm told him anything, it was that his death was going to eat away at her. But the other thing was that he knew Thea would eventually learn the truth. And now she had two dead fathers.

"Yep." He answered simply, hopping onto his Ducati and taking off. It was only fifteen minutes before Oliver made it back to the lair, and when he got down the stairs, he saw Diggle's shocked face staring at the computer monitor.

"What's going on?" Oliver asked, walking up behind his partner. He looked at the screen to see the Count's face up close.

_"Arrow. You've decided to join us!" He exclaimed with a sarcastic smile._

"What do you want?" He bit out. He knew the Count had been quiet for too long, but with everything going on, he hadn't had a chance to focus on him. The Count smiled before backing away from the camera and stepping to the side. Bound to a chair, with duct tape over her mouth, was Clover. Oliver's heart sank. He knew he shouldn't have left her alone.

_"You see, arrow," he started, approaching clover and standing behind her chair. he bent down to level his head next to hers, and held a syringe, filled with a neon blue liquid, to her neck. "i found your girlfriend here, and figured i deserved payback. you poisoned me and put me in a hole. i can never forgive you for that."_

 

 

"Your problem is with me. Let her go." Oliver growled at the monitor. The Count simply laughed at him.

_"What I have here is Vertigo 3.0, so amazing it is. But I don't want to tell you about it, if rather you see it for yourself." He disappeared from the screen, and Oliver watched Clover's eyes follow him away, then widen. Second later he was back, rolling in a defibrillator._

"What are you doing?" Oliver ground out. The Count leaned back down next to Clover.

_"This." He smiled, injecting the blue fluid into her neck. Clover's eyes instantly went blank and her head began to sway, as if she was dizzy. Then suddenly, her body began shaking viciously. She was having something of a seizure, and Oliver's heart broke in half when the Count ripped the tape off of her mouth. Her vibrant lipstick was faded and she released a bloodcurdling scream as her body continued to shake uncontrollably_.

"No!" Oliver screamed, mentally beating himself up for leaving her behind. Clover's body suddenly went limp and her head fell backwards. "No. No, no, no." He muttered to himself. The Count put his fingers to her neck with a smile.

_"Oh no! She has no pulse. I'd better bring her back to life. He readied the defibrillator and yelled out 'clear!'. One shock and her bright blue eyes flew open. She was breathing erratically, trying to speak but no words came out. "You have two hours to find us, Arrow, or I won't bring her back to life. And here's a little motivation to make you hurry." He said digging into his pocket and producing another syringe._

_"Don't!" Clover yelled out before the Count's hand flew over her mouth. He position the syringe at her neck again._

_"The first time was just to show you how incredible my newest version of Vertigo is." He smiled. "She's getting a dose of this every twenty minutes until you get here. So if you don't want her to suffer to death over and over and over, you'd better hurry." The Count ordered, sticking the second syringe in her neck the same result. He spoke up again as Clover screamed and shook in the background. "Let's start the countdown, shall we? You have 19 minutes and 49, 48, 47 seconds til her next dose. Tick tock, tick tock."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I will be updating this story quicker than the other for a bit since I have it written up to chapter 11. Plus I'm giving a bonus chapter either tomorrow or on 11/2/17 for all of your patience. Thank you!
> 
> xoxo cloverlotus


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver calls in back up on his search for Clover and Vertigo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I've been undergoing chemo, and it is EXHAUSTING. I'll be posting a second chapter today, though. Pinky swear! Also look out for chapter one of a three parter, called "A Chance to be Your Always". It's a short season 6 Olicity wedding fic, (because we could all use some fluff to lighten up this angst).

"How did you know where to find me?" Clover asked suddenly.

"I called you and your friend, Overwatch, answered. She told me where you were and what you were planning." He replied.

" _Sorry, Lis_." She heard her friend's voice in her ear.

"It's okay, you were just looking out for me." She reassured her as Arrow stood and helped her to her feet. He gently cupped her face, then slanted his mouth over hers. She rested her hands on his waist, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She poured every emotion she was feeling into it before she heard Laurel in her ear.

" _You know I can hear your make out session from here and I really hope this isn't going to become a regular occurrence now that you guys are seeing each other._ " She said, causing Felicity to break the kiss.

"Sorry, Overwatch," she murmured, guiltily.

"Come to the lair with me," Arrow told her, as he picked up and handed her the chrome bow. She pushed the button to retract it.

"I'll meet you there soon." She smiled faintly. "I just need a few minutes to myself." He nodded and kissed her again, before leaving the office. Once he was gone, Felicity released a sigh and looked back to Malcolm. She slowly approached his body, and cautiously used her foot to turn him on his back.

"You know, a part of me didn't want it to come down to this… but you asked for it." She muttered, before feeling a presence behind her. She turned around and within three seconds had her bow open with and arrow aimed.

"So we finally meet… _Clover."_ The man said.

"Its not fair that you know my name, but I don't know yours." She teased, holding her arrow in place.

"Oh, you know exactly who I am. And let me tell you, I'm not too thrilled by you getting into my business." He retorted, his voice menacing.

"Count Vertigo…" she whispered, finally putting a name to the face in front of her.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. It'll be an even bigger pleasure when I'm through with you." He told her with a smile.

And with a pinch of her neck,

Everything went black.

* * *

 

Its been 57 minutes.

**57.**

Oliver felt as though he was losing his mind. He'd been riding aimlessly through Starling, trying to figure out where the Count could possibly be holding Clover. It was evident from the video that they were in a warehouse. The only issue is that there's at least fifteen abandoned warehouses in the city.

He was down to an hour and three minutes to find them. His heart hurt knowing that Clover had to endure another two injections since he'd seen the video. It hurt even more knowing that she was on the verge of receiving a third— totaling five doses of Vertigo.

After checking the eighth warehouse and coming up empty, he pulled the burner cell from his pocket and dialed.

" _Arrow? Is that you?_ " the voice answered.

"Clover's in trouble and I could use your help." He replied. The hardest thing for Oliver to do was ask for help. But Clover's life depended on it.

" _What do you mean she's in trouble?! Where is she? Where are you?_ " the Flash fired off. Oliver sighed and gave a rundown of the recent events. " _Are you able to playback the video_?"

"We did. Multiple times. Its useless." Oliver said rubbing his temple as his watch beeped. That meant Clover was getting another shot. He was doing his best to keep calm, but his brain was pulsating and he felt so out of control. So helpless.

_"I'm going to text you an email address. Have your guy send the video and someone on my team will try to trace the IP address. I'll be at your location in five._ "

"Okay. Hurry. We only have an hour left to find her." Oliver hung up and surely enough, a text came through instantly. He forwarded the text to Digg, with instructions, and impatiently awaited the Flash's arrival.

It was only moments later that a red streak flew at him.

"I have an address." He said, grabbing the Arrow's arm and zooming to the location.

* * *

 

Felicity slowly opened her eyes, and upon trying to move realized that she was strapped to a chair with duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes flitted around the room and she noticed a camera and screen in front of her, though her sight was still hazy. It was as though she didn't have in her contacts. She turned her head to the left and saw the Count headed her way.

"Oh, goodie, you're awake!" he smiled. _"Clover…"_ Felicity stared back at the man in front of her, her eyes not yet adjusted to the light. "I'm _dying_ to know who you are beneath the façade, _Clover."_

The way he said her name sent chills through her body—and there wasn't much that could do that. When she was travelling, she'd seen things that defied the laws of nature, and she learned not to be afraid. She'd learned to keep herself one step ahead. Being blind to Vertigo's plans is what made her nervous.

He leaned down in front of her and tucked his thumbs beneath her mask, his cold eyes penetrating her fearful ones. With a smirk he slowly began uncovering her face. Her mask was on her forehead and Vertigo cocked his head at her.

"Hmm. Pretty." He muttered before putting the mask back down. "I think its time we have a chat with your friend." He smirked. _Oh, dear God, please tell me it isn't Laurel_ , she thought to herself. "How about a video call?" he suggested, walking to the camera and setting it up.

"Time to play a little game." He murmured, looking back at Clover with a diabolical smile.

" _What's going on?_ " His voice asked as her eyes fluttered open. She felt beyond weak and she hoped that he was there to help her. She forced her eyes to focus as she spotted his face on the monitor.

"Arrow! You've decided to join us!" Count Vertigo exclaimed, that same smile in place.

" _What do you want?_ " Arrow bit out, his face turning sheet white, but his eyes flaming with anger.

"You see, Arrow," he started, approaching Felicity and standing behind her chair. She could feel her body shake with anticipation. How could she have let her guard down? What the hell happened that she ended up here? She didn't remember a thing after talking to the Count in Malcolm's office.

He bent down to level his head next to hers, and held a syringe, filled with a neon blue liquid, to her neck. "I found your… _not_ unattractive girlfriend here—I peeked under the mask." He winks and let's out a low whistle. He then continued, "I figured I deserved payback. I say we play a little game. A race against the clock." He says, tauntingly.

" _Your problem is with me. Let her go."_ The Arrow growled. The Count simply laughed at him. Felicity felt powerless, her body was weak and she figured that she was shot with a tranquilizer. She felt like she was shot with enough to take down an elephant.

"My problem is very much with her, as well. What I have here is Vertigo 3.0, so amazing it is. But I don't want to tell you about it, no, I'd rather you see it for yourself." Felicity made a weak attempt to pull at the binds in her hands before letting out a small whimper. She watched the Count as he walked to the other side of the room. Seconds later he was back, rolling in a defibrillator.

" _What are you doing?_ " Arrow ground out. The Count leaned back down next to Felicity. Close enough that she could feel his breath on her face, and she shuddered. Her eyes locked with Arrow's and she could clearly make out the anguish in his eyes.

"This." He smiled, injecting the blue fluid into her neck. She went into a momentary shock and her brain began to pulse so hard, she thought it was going to bust through her skull. Her pulse began to race and see felt like she could no longer function. She desperately wanted to claw her way out of her own skin.

Then suddenly, her body began shaking viciously. God, was she having a seizure?! Everything was a blur, and she was writhing in intense pain. The sounds in the room were muffled and she could no longer make out the conversation between Arrow and Vertigo. Her brain was going blank and she hadn't even realized when the Count removed the tape from her mouth.

Then the shaking stopped. Felicity felt as if she was underwater. Like she was drowning. She inhaled sharply and felt the water fill her lungs before it all went black.

She was walking in an abyss when she spotted a white light a few yards away.

And there stood the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen.

An angel.

" _My baby_ ," the sweet voice whispered, holding out her hand. Felicity held her hand out and as she approached…

It was like waking up from a dream. Was she waking up from a dream? Is that what this all was?

She was breathing erratically, trying to speak but no words came out. "You have two hours to find us, Arrow, or I won't bring her back to life. And here's a little motivation to make you hurry." Vertigo said, digging into his pocket, and producing another syringe.

"Don't!" Felicity yelled out before the Count's hand flew over her mouth. He position the syringe at her neck again. Oh, God, no, not again. She whimpered into his hand, tears rushing down her face.

"The first time was just to show you how incredible my newest version of Vertigo is." He smiled. "She's getting a dose of this every twenty minutes until you get here. So if you don't want her to suffer to death over and over and over, you'd better hurry." The Count ordered, sticking the second syringe in her neck.

And it began again.

* * *

"And you're positive this is the right place?" Arrow said, surveying the empty warehouse.

"Of course I'm sure. Unless they moved." The Flash said. To say Oliver was pissed would be an understatement. He was livid. In less than two minutes, Clover would be getting another dose of vertigo. He hated to think of what all of this was doing to her body. It was only a matter of time before she overdosed.

" _Arrow, I'm looking at the floor plans. There's a door on the southeast corner. It leads to a basement_." Dig said in his ear. Oliver relayed the info to the Flash, who sped them to the location. Oliver was horrified by the sight before him and muttered to the Flash to follow his lead. He got Clover into this, he needed to take responsibility and get her out of it.

Clover was whimpering, her silver hair damp with sweat, and some of it matted to her forehead. Count Vertigo was standing behind her, holding the syringe to her neck.

"Oh, look, Clover. It's your knight in shining leather." He teased.

"What do you want?" Oliver asked, his voice wavering the slightest bit. She could tell that he was trying hard to keep his cool. Her vision was spotted and blurred, but she did her best to focus on the scene before her.

"World peace and personal satisfaction." The Count replied, matter-of-factly, before turning serious, his voice lowering an octave. "Though not necessarily in that order. You poisoned me, and put me in a hole. You have no idea how much I hated you for that. Turns out someone else hates you, too."

"Who?" Arrow quickly responds.

"Who? Oh, you're going to be surprised when you find out. He's a man of means; set me up with my new operation so I could draw you out."

"To do what?" Arrow growled.

"THIS!"

Count Vertigo plunges the syringe into Felicity's heart before she has a chance to realize what's happening. She instantly went into a stiff shock, her bright, blue eyes dilating amazingly wide. Everything after that was a blur.

Oliver felt his heart fall out of his chest, and without thought, he shot three arrows into Count Vertigo's chest. He watched the man stumble back and fall, before turning his attention to Clover.

The Flash was on his knees, holding a seizing Clover in his arms. Oliver felt like he went into shock, he couldn't move. This was his fault. Clover was attacked because of him. He should have killed the Count the first time he had a chance. He felt like he couldn't breathe. _God,_ was he having a heart attack?

The Flash turned Clover's violently seizing body on its side and looked to Oliver.

"Give me your phone." He said, urgently, holding his hand out. Oliver pulled out the burner cell and walked over to the pair, handing the phone over. The Flash— in a literal flash— had dialed a number, had the phone ringing on speaker, and had begun to clear Clover's mouth of saliva. He had to ensure that she wouldn't choke on it.

_"Hello?"_ An uncertain, feminine voice answered.

"Hey, its me." Flash spoke quickly. Oliver kneeled down beside Clover's body and pushed a few silver hairs out of her still masked face. Why couldn't he think? He literally was not functioning. At all. Digg was speaking in his ear via comm, but Oliver couldn't hear what he was saying.

"The Count injected Clover with something and she's having a really violent seizure. I did the basics, what do I do now?" The Flash rushed out.

" _Bring her in. Hurry! I'll get the med bay ready."_ The woman said before hanging up. That snapped Oliver out of it and he made eye contact with the speedster sitting across from him.

"Where are you taking her?" He asked, cautiously.

"I'm taking her to Central City. My friend is a doctor, we'll help her." The Flash replied, confidently, while gently hoisting the shaking woman in his arms.

"Then I'm coming with you." Oliver retorted, the scarlet speedster shaking his head in disagreement.

"You can't. I'm sorry, I can't expose my team like that. " he replied, apologetically. "Keep your cell charged, I'll keep you updated on how she's doing."

Then in a blur of red lightening, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and for all of your support!
> 
> xoxo cloverlotus


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver is in denial, Felicity is in Central City, and the Count is dead...
> 
> But Clover has a new vengeance...

* * *

It's been less than 15 hours since the Flash took Clover to Central City, and Oliver couldn't stop thinking about her. He hadn't heard from the Flash yet, and he was beyond nervous. He truly hoped that she was alright.

He was surprised to arrive at work and not see Felicity at her desk, but he brushed it off assuming that she was running late. Being swamped with meetings, he hadn't gotten to check her desk again until lunch. Growing concerned, he decided to call, but the phone went straight to voicemail.

Oliver's nerves began to rise when he thought about what happened to Walter. Clover said that she would watch over Felicity, but she couldn't do that from Central City. He hadn't been able to keep an eye on her because of everything going on.

As the panic began to set it, Oliver did the first thing that came to mind.

He drove straight to her apartment.

"Felicity?" he called out, as he knocked, his palms growing sweaty with anticipation. The door swung open and Oliver was surprised to see Laurel instead.

"Hey, Ollie, come in." she said, stepping to the side and closing the door behind him. "I was supposed to call this morning, sorry, I was preoccupied." She apologized.

"Is Felicity here? She didn't show up at work and—"

"No." Laurel stated. "Give me one minute, I'm just packing up some of her clothes. I'll explain in a sec." she said, rushing down the hall and leaving a confused Oliver in Felicity living room. He took a moment to look at the various framed photos, that stood on the shelves above the computer. He hadn't noticed them before.

There was a black and white picture of her with Laurel, both of them making duck faces and different photo, where they wore similar hairstyles and matching lipstick. He smiled at their obvious closeness and admired the other photos of the pair.

There were a few with Barry, and he had to swallow his envy, seeing that they were obviously close as well. One picture stood out to him, where she was wearing a black, two piece outfit and her face void of glasses. She and Barry had an arm around each other and the photo was labeled 'Post Grad Dinner'.

There were pictures of she and Laurel at the beach with some guys Oliver didn't recognize. He couldn't hold back his chuckle when he spotted a picture of Felicity with a Batman shirt and a hooded shark blanket.

"Ollie?" Laurel called, on her way down the hall. He whipped his head around, seeing her with a purple duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Yea?" he askes, giving over his full attention.

"Lis had a family emergency early this morning. Her great grandmother passed away and she needed to fly to New York to be with her family." Laurel began to explain. She was lying through her teeth, but Oliver seemed to be buying it.

"That's terrible," he sighed. "How's she holding up?"

"Not too we'll but she'll be okay." Laurel replied, which was quite honestly considering what was actually going on.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" Oliver asked, already missing her. Laurel bit her lips before replying.

"Um.. so, she's Jewish.. and they do this thing where they sit shiva for a week. It's a traditional mourning process." Laurel explained, Oliver nodding in understanding. "I'm just going to meet her out there for moral support."

"Well give her my condolences, and tell her to take as much time as she needs." Oliver replies, feeling terrible for the bubbly blonde.

* * *

After Oliver left, Laurel called Barry, who promptly picked her up and ran her to Central City. Laurel could feel her hands shaking as they entered STAR Labs.

"Hey Caitlin, hey Cisco." She greeted. "How's Lis?"

"Her vitals are much better." Caitlin began. "I flushed her system as best I could, but we're working on an antidote to counteract the effects of the vertigo left in her system. Other than that, we're just waiting for her to wake up."

"She'll be okay." Cisco said, pulling Laurel into a hug.

"Thanks." She whispered. "Can I see her?"

"Yeah, c'mon." Barry smiled, nodding towards the med bay. "I'll give you some time alone."

Laurel entered the room and sat in the chair beside her unconscious friend. She took Felicity limp hand in her own and took a deep breath.

"Hey, Lis. It's me, Laurel." She began. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I thought I'd talk to you anyways. You know, get a little peace of mind… Cisco says that you're going to be okay. I feel better knowing that they're watching over you. I know if anyone will bring you back to health, it's Caitlin.

"Oliver came to see why you weren't at work… I told him that your great grandmother, God rest her soul, passed away.. and that you'd be sitting shiva for the next week. Don't worry, knowing Ollie, he'll count it as a paid vacation." Laurel chuckled lightly before staring at her unresponsive best friend. Tears began to prick her eyes and it was only seconds before they fell.

"You have to wake up, hun." Laurel sniffled. "I've already lost Sara, I can't lose you too… you're my best friend and— and I know we're not related by blood, but I live you like a sister, Lis. You ARE my sister. So don't sleep too long. I need you to come back." Laurel sobbed, her heart breaking at the sight of Felicity. "Please come back." She sniffed again, then kissed her cheek.

Five days had passed and Felicity still hadn't woken up. The antidote had cleared out the Vertigo, but she was still comatose. Caitlin suspected that she'd be awake before the week was over. Laurel spent every day beside Felicity's bed, and the group had all been sleeping in the lab.

As day five crawled to an end, Cisco heard a groan coming from the med bay, and sprinted to see what it was.

She was awake.

Laurel and Felicity spent the next two day at STAR Labs, just to ensure that Felicity was okay before returning to Starling. She sent a text to Oliver, letting him know that she'd be back to work the following day. He replied, apologizing for her loss, leaving Laurel to explain that her great grandmother had apparently passed away… _again._

They had finally gotten to Starling, walking slowly, hand-in-hand, to Laurel's apartment complex.

"You go up," Felicity started, when they were in front of the building. "I'm going to go down the block and get us something for dinner."

"You sure you don't want me to come with?" Laurel asked, still concerned for the blonde.

"You've done enough, I'm okay." Felicity smile reassuringly. "Chinese or Thai?"

"Chinese.. and get fortune cookies!" Laurel smiled, grabbing the duffel bag to bring it upstairs.

"Okay," Felicity chuckled, "I'll meet you up there soon." She kissed Laurels cheek before strolling towards Star Wok. Laurel slung the bag over her shoulder as she walked through the lobby, only pausing to say hi to the security guard.

She rode the elevator up to the eleventh floor and quickly entered her apartment, dropping the bag at the front of the house. Flicking on the lights, she noticed the living room window was wide open.

She never left her windows open when she went out of town.

She shrugged it off, figuring that she'd forgotten to close it since she was in such a haste to go to Central City. She crossed he living room and shut the window, closing out the cool autumn winds. Next, she head to her bedroom, so she can grab pajamas for herself and Felicity.

What she didn't expect was to find someone already in her room.

"Arrow?" she asked, staring at the man, who stood in the corner of her room. She'd never seen Arrow close up before, but what was he doing in her apartment? Before she could ask, two arrows pierced her abdomen, dropping her to her knees.

* * *

Felicity stepped out of the elevator, Chinese takeout in one hand and a bottle of Moscatto in the other. She dug into her jeans pocket, using the key Laurel gave her to unlock the door.

"Honey! I'm home!" she called out, jokingly, as she kicked the auto-lock door shut. Not getting any response, Felicity placed her purchases on the counter and head for Laurel's room. "Laur?" she tried again.

Completely comfortable in the apartment she often card a second home, Felicity pushed open the bedroom door, her heart sinking instantaneously.

"Laurel!" she yelled, dropping to her knees beside her best friend's body, not missing the familiar arrow tails. She pulled out her phone and quickly called Quentin Lance, while checking her friend's barely there pulse. She quickly explained the situation, doing her best to keep her cool. Quentin let her know that he and the ambulance would be there as soon as possible.

"A-A-rrow." Laurel forced out, her eyes vacant and barely open.

"Shhh." Felicity hushed, rocking the brunette in her arms. "I know, babe. Save your energy. I'll take care of Arrow."

She'd take care of him alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should have the next chapter up in a couple of days. Ladies and gentlemen...
> 
> Let's unmask these fools!


	11. Divulge Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clover goes after Arrow; our vigilantes are unmasked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such slow updates. Between being a mom to a one year old, chemotherapy, and wedding planning, I have been absolutely zonked. Light in the Dark is on temporary hiatus, (my muse is on life support for that one), and I am simultaneously working on chapter 12 of this story, the next chapter of Forgive Me, and part two of A Chance to be Your Always.

* * *

**She saw red.**

Blood was violently coursing through her veins, her heart rate far above what was healthy. Her fingers were itching with need. How dare he? Her brain was shifting into overdrive.

But on the outside, Felicity's pokerface held strong. She held Laurel's hand in her own, listening to the steady heat of the heart rate monitor. Her friend lay unconscious in the comfortable looking hospital bed.

Captain Lance already had the city searching for Arrow, but Felicity ensured him that she would take care of it as Clover. Quentin had treated Felicity as his own daughter since Laurel's had brought her home, broken and bleeding.

* * *

**Flashback**

_It was her first time in Starling. She, Barry and the team had been tracking two metahumans: Geomancer and Plastique. After losing track of them— again— the team had decided on staying at a hotel just outside of Starling_

_"Go ahead, I'll meet you guys there." Clover assured the Flash._

_"Lis. Are you going to look for Malcolm Merlyn?" he asked cautiously._

_"I'll make it quick, Barr." Felicity shrugged nonchalantly._

_"Well, let me come with you." Barry suggested, being sure not to come off as pushy._

_"You know I can handle myself, Barry." Felicity teased, a light smile playing on her fuchsia lips. "Besides, this is something that I need to do on my own."_

_"Okay." Barry sighed._

_"No more than an hour." Caitlin demanded. "I don't want to risk you running into Geomancer and Plastique while you're on your own."_

_"Yes, Mama Bear!" Felicity smiled, giving her a hug._

_"Um, ahem, no sugar for me?" Cisco joked, his arms outstretched._

_"Fine, but no groping my ass this time!" she laughed, pointing a finger back at him, and pulling him into a hug._

_"I swear that was an accident!" he defended honestly with a chuckle. Felicity turned and fist bumped Barry._

_"Be safe, Lis. And if you need us—"_

_"—hit the signal on my bow. I know Barry. Promise I'll make it quick, and I'll text you guys when I'm done so you can come pick me up." Felicity said, before striding off._

* * *

_Felicity rode through the night on her Ducati, feeling the breeze whip through her blonde locks. Only about five minutes into the ride, she spotted Plastique on the roof of a five story building, so she slowed to a stop. She could definitely handle Plastique on her own. She shot a grappling arrow to pull herself onto the roof, labeled "City Necessary Resources Initiative"._

_"Clover… back for more?" The brunette asked, tauntingly, before turning to face Felicity. "You're not foolish enough to think I'd be here alone?" Upon turning around, Felicity locked eyes with Geomancer, the world around her, distorting._

_"Hey, Blondie. Catch!" Plastique called, tossing something in Felicity direction. A small explosion threw Felicity from the roof and everything went to black._

_Felicity awakened to a dimly lit room, surrounded by a thick, warm, comforter. Maybe Team Flash had found her and brought her back to the hotel. She turned over in the bed, groaning when a sharp pain shot through her left shoulder, abdomen, and head. Her eyes met with the eyes of a pretty brunette._

_"Hi." The young woman in her early twenties, said. Felicity sat stunned by the unfamiliar face. "My name is Laurel… and you're Clover. I've seen you on the news… I think it's amazing what you do."_

_"How did I get here?" Felicity asked, rubbing her eyes and noticing that her mask was gone._

_"Your mask is on the night stand. I took it off so that I could clean the blood from your face. I hope that's okay." Laurel stated, after noticing Felicity concern. "I was leaving work and there was this small explosion… you came flying off of the roof and landed right in front of me. I called my dad, he helped get you here. I told him not to bring you to a hospital because I'm sure you wanted to keep your identity a secret from the public."_

_"Thank you, Laurel." Felicity said earnestly. A knocked on the door caught there attention, and a man, who Felicity assumed to be Laurel's father stepped through._

_"Good, you're awake." He smiled, crossing the room and sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm Quentin, Laurel's dad." He confirmed, offering aspirin and a glass of water, which she graciously accepted._

_"Thank you. " she smiled._

_"So… you're a vigilante." Quentin said, as if still trying to wrap his own head around it. Felicity began chewing on her lip with concern. "Don't worry sweetheart, your secret is safe with us. We just want to make sure you're okay. You took quite a fall."_

_"I'm okay." Felicity nodded with a small smile. "I truly appreciate your hospitality, but I should be going."_

_"Well, I hope you like chicken marsala, because I'm a not letting you leave until you get some food and proper hydration." He smiled._

_"And also because he's mastered chicken marsala and it's all he knows how to make, so he seeks validation outside of the family." Laurel laughed._

_So Felicity decided to stay for dinner_.

**End Flashback**

* * *

Felicity was pretty sure of how she was going to handle this Arrow situation, but she needed a second opinion. She needed the opinion of a woman who played a great role in her training— physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Felicity gently placed Laurel's hand down on the bed and picked up her tablet from the bedside table. She quickly typed out and untraceable instant message.

_Hey, can we meet in Starling City ASAP? I'd come to you but I need to stay in the city._

It was only a short wait before she got a reply.

_I'll be there tomorrow morning. Call you at 9_.

* * *

Felicity, dressed in jeans, a sweatshirt, running sneakers, and a cap, drove to the rendezvous point. Her dark haired ally was already waiting. She came and put her bag in the back seat, before settling into the passenger side.

"It's so good to see you again, Felicity." The woman said, pulling the blonde into a hug.

"You too, Tatsu." She replied.

The drive back to the lair wasn't more than fifteen minutes. Once inside, Felicity to changed into a pair of leggings and a sports bra, before grabbing her katanas. She turned around, to find Tatsu already on the training mats, her own katanas in hand.

It had been so long since Felicity had a sparring session and she knew she could definitely benefit from one.

The women stood across from each other, tapping their katanas together before getting into position. The sound if clanging metal and grunts echoed through the foundry, Felicity pouring her anger into the session. For once, she had an upper hand, until Tatsu knocked her in her back.

"You're not focused. Tei ichi ni modoru. _(Japanese-back into position)"_  Felicity pulled herself up from the floor and did as told, then they began again. "What's wrong?" Tatsu asked between the sound of their katanas. Felicity relayed that last few weeks to her mentor and told her about her plans to handle the situation.

"My mother always told me, 'a bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch but on its own wings.' You need to believe in yourself and trust your instincts. No one else can decide for you." Tatsu said, just as she knocked Felicity on her back once again.

Felicity would hold on to that quote.

She was going to do it.

Clover was going to kill Arrow.

* * *

**THAT NIGHT**

Clover punched in the code and waltzed into the Arrow Cave. When she was halfway down the stairs, Arrow had her wrapped in his arms.

"Thank God you're back. You're  _alive."_  He murmured shakily. "I was on my way out but—"

"We need to talk." She whispered, staring up at him, a fire burning in her eyes. He looked slightly taken aback before realization settled on his face.

"Okay, come on." he nodded down the stairs.

"No." she replied. "On the roof." Then she turned and head back up the stairs.

* * *

**VERDANT ROOF**

Clover walked a few paces ahead, and Oliver began to wonder why she wanted to talk up there . He was sure that she'd heard on the news about Captain Lance practically putting out a hit on Arrow for attacking Laurel … only it wasn't him. It was the Dark Archer.

And he'd finally found out who the Dark Archer is.

Oliver stopped a few feet behind Clover, and after a moment she turned around to face him.

"Why do you keep  _lying_  to me?" she asked, suddenly, her voice sullen.

"Clover, I didn't –"

"Yeah it was the so-called 'Dark Archer', I forgot." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Oliver sighed, before attempting to explain.

"But it—"

"Shut up and listen." She growled. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you, but I did anyways. For a genius, I'm such an idiot sometimes." She laughed humorlessly, before pulling out her katana.

"Clover, what are you doing?" Oliver asked, now upset that he didn't think to grab his bow. Clover slowly stalked to him.

"I'm taking karma into my own hands." She grumbled, swinging her katana at him, which he dodged almost effortlessly. As he ducked beneath the sharp blade, Felicity sent a left hook into his gut, making him double over. She went to deliver a roundhouse kick to his head, but Arrow grabbed her ankle, before her boot could connect with his head. He shoved her backwards, throwing her off balance. Clover stumbled backwards and dropped her katana before running at Arrow top speed. His arm wrapped around her waist and flipped her onto her back, it smacking the gravelly roof with a sick thud.

Oliver jumped back onto his feet just as Clover did, elbowing her in the abdomen when she ran at him again. Clover refused to back down. He dodged her left hook before she uppercut his jaw with her right fist, and followed it up with a knee you his groin. Oliver felt like she has just knocked the wind out of him as he fell to his knees.

He watched as Clover stalked across the roof to pick up her katana. In just a moment's notice, she was walking back his way. Before Arrow could react, she swiftly kicked him in the ribs, making him fall to his back with a groan. Clover stood over him, one wedged boot applying pressure to his chest, just beneath his heart, her katana in her right hand.

"I had no intentions of killing anyone after Malcolm Merlyn, but after you attacked Laurel, I knew you'd be next." She growled, her katana poking the skin over his heart, just enough to draw blood.

"C-Clover… I—"

"Shut. The  _fuck._  Up." She growled, applying a little extra pressure with her boot a blade. "Shut up. You brought this on—"

"Clover plea—"

"You brought this on yourself!" she yelled. "I  _trusted_  you! I  _believed_  in you! Even after I saw it with my own eyes. I gave you a part of me and you've done nothing but lie and be a hypocrite. You are so full of shit, Arrow!" Angry tears now poured over Clover's mask, and Oliver could see the internal battle she was facing.

"I gave you the benefit of the doubt after you killed Walter Steele, but I see that I was wrong. He was an innocent man. Sure his wife was a bitch, but he was like a second father to an amazing man and young woman. YOU took him away from them!" she yelled.

Oliver breathed heavily, unsure of what to say. She didn't want to hear a thing from him, and the katana currently poking his chest, told him that wrong one move would probably lead her to drive it through his heart

"I want my face to be the last thing you see before you die." She growled yanking off her wig and mask in one swift motion. Oliver froze in place. He couldn't believe his eyes.

He couldn't believe it was her.

How could he  _not_  see it all along? The answers were in his face the whole time.

_Felicity Smoak_  was Clover.

Oliver moved his mouth, but nothing came out.

"I want you to see the face of the woman who's going to end you."

Just as Felicity was about to drive her katanas through his chest, Oliver ripped off his mask.

"Felicity, it's me!" he yelled out hurriedly. "I swear to you, I didn't kill Walter or attack Laurel! Malcolm is framing me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for your love, patience, and well wishes. I freaking love you guys. Whaddiya think? Was the unmasking worth the wait?
> 
> xoxo cloverlotus


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone,
> 
> Sorry for the slow update, I've been sooooooooooooo tired, but I'm back!

 

* * *

**Chapter 11: So… I Guess We Should Talk, Huh?**

She threw up… over the edge of the roof.

And frankly, that was  _not_  the response he was expecting. But to say that he was still in shock as well would be a vast understatement.

Oliver let his head drop back down, lying flat on the Verdant roof, and sighed in relief that he'd live to see another day. He desperately wanted her to say something. Anything. He just needed to know what was going through her mind because he was completely scatterbrained.

Oliver sat up and looked at Felicity, as she wiped her mouth with the back of a gloved hand. Her back was still to him, her shoulders slumped. When he realized that she had no intentions of moving, he stood and walked up behind her. He reached out a hand, but withdrew it, unsure of how'd she react.

"Felicity?"

The blonde snapped her head in his direction, her hair whipping in the wind, and her eyes large and doe-like. They were glistening with tears that refused to fall. She looked down, then turned her head to look back out at the city.

"I almost killed you, Oliver." She whispered. "I was only a millisecond from driving my katana straight through your heart and you would've died. Right here on the roof of your sister's nightclub." Oliver sighed, then slowly took Felicity's hand in his, making her turn to face him.

She looked broken.

He pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment. She remained silent, her arms locked at her sides.

"Let's go downstairs… I think we have a lot to talk about." Oliver whispered into her hair, then feeling her nod against his chest.

They walked back down to the foundry in complete silence after collecting their respective masks, Felicity grabbing her wig as well. Diggle was already there when they returned, and he stood, his eyes popping open, at the sight of Clover unmasked. Something he hadn't expected to see.

Felicity looked over to Oliver as Diggle continued to stare.

"He's been keeping my secret for over a year. You can trust him— both of us— to keep your secret as well." He told her.

"Ditto." She muttered, approaching the massive armed man. "Felicity Smoak." She said, sticking out her hand and forcing a friendly smile despite her current mood. Digg's eyes widened in disbelief at the name, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. He whipped his head around to look at Oliver, then back down to the small blonde before him.

"Well, I'll be damned." He mumbled, before shaking her hand. "John Diggle."

"So…" she trailed off, attempting to force small talk. "How do you guys know each other?" Oliver walked over to them, sitting in one of the two chairs before the monitors.

"I was hired as Oliver's bodyguard last year." Diggle offered up, Felicity eyebrows raising in surprise.

"I'm assuming not anymore since I've yet to see you two together, so what happened?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"His mother fired me because he kept running off. Jumped out of the car while I was driving once. Another time, we went to Big Belly. Told me he was going to the bathroom and this dick never came back." Diggle laughed, Oliver smirking at the memory. "As you can imagine, Moira Queen decided that I wasn't fit for the job and fired me because I kept losing her son."

"And now here you two are a year later." She stated, a small smile in place.

"How'd you get into this life? Unmasked, you don't seem much like the vigilante type." Diggle asked.

"It's an incredibly long story." Felicity sighed. "But it all started when Malcolm Merlyn killed my mother."

"So… I guess we should talk, huh?" Oliver finally spoke up, after taking some time to collect his thoughts.

"You said Malcolm was framing you but I…" she trailed off, everything becoming a bit clearer.

"I know. I… I  _watched_  you kill him." Oliver replied, shaking his head in confusion. "I don't know how—"

"The Magician." She whispered, both men looking at her, trying to figure out what she knew that they didn't. "There's an… organization… called the League of Assassins…"

"Wait, wait, wait. The League of Assassins? I thought they were just a myth." Diggle interjected with a shake of his head.

"Ummm… someone wanna fill me in on what the League of Assassins is?" Oliver asked, looking between the two.

" No, it's an urban legend." Diggle spoke up. "I heard about them in Afghanistan from a tribal leader. He claimed there was an ancient sect of assassins, deadly warriors that killed and vanished like ghosts. Thought he was smoking what he was selling."

"So what do you know about the League?" Oliver asks, urging her to continue.

**Flashback**

_Felicity awakened, tied to a chair in an underground bunker. A brown skinned woman, with her hair tied into a low bun, and perfectly arched eyebrows was standing before her. She was dressed in a white blouse, with a dark grey pencil skirt and matching blazer._

_"Miss Smoak." She stated, Felicity's face twisting in confusion._

_"How do you know my name?" she asked, already working on the zip ties that bounded her hands behind the chair._

_"That doesn't matter. My name is Amanda Waller and I have a job for you." She replied, her arms crossed beneath her breast._

"Amanda  _Waller?"_  Oliver repeated in surprise. He'd recalled meeting Amanda. She had sent him to Hong Kong, and though he had no intentions of helping her, he agreed when she threatened Maseo's family. What were the odds that their pasts were connected in some form.

"You sound like you know her." Felicity replied, raking her fingers through her blonde hair, the simple action quickly captivating him.

Knowing that  _she_  was the woman behind the mask all along— the one that challenged him, pushed his buttons, kept him up at night, and, shamefully on his behalf, nearly killed him not even twenty minutes ago— lit something up inside of him.

It was…  _strange._  Before the big reveal, Oliver hadn't imagined feeling  _this_  way about neither Felicity or Clover. Sure he liked them both, but… this was different.

No, he wouldn't say he  _l_ _oved_  Felicity… right? He hadn't actually known her that long. But, he really, really,  _really_  liked her.

Like,  _a lot._

Something about not having her around for the past week showed him a lot. What it was like to lose her. That's not something he wanted ever again. This woman meant so much to him.

He blinked a few times, snapping back into reality. Felicity's lips, were pursed, her brows slightly furrowed, as though she was trying to figure him out.

"Yeah, we've… met." he stated, almost forgetting to respond to her. From his peripheral, he could make out the stupid grin on Digg's face, and he rolled his eyes. Felicity cleared her throat, looking between the two men.

"Are we done here, boys?" she asked, her brow arched with mock irritation. Both men immediately locked their eyes on her, waiting for the rest of her story.

**Flashback**

_"What do you think I am? Some kind of mercenary?" Felicity huffed, her hands now free, but folded behind her back. "Listen, lady, if you know what's good for you, you'd let me go."_

_To Felicity's disappointment, Amanda. laughed._

_"And if you know what's good for you, you'd shut up and listen." She replied, the two men pointing rifles at her._

_"What do you want?" Felicity sighed._

_"That's more like it." Amanda smirked. "You're going to infiltrate the League of Assassins and find Norvina Sakaar. She killed someone she wasn't supposed to."_

* * *

_Felicity was left beaten and bruised somewhere along the Hindu Kush mountain range. She opened her eyes, immediately feeling blinded by the bright sky overhead. Two women approached, one blonde and one brunette, dressed in dark, dramatic clothing. She could just barely make out their Arabic words._

_"Hal hi ealaa qayd alhaya?" (Is she alive?)_

_"Amul 'anaha." (I hope she is.)_

_"Fatat faqirata, alyasar lilqatlaa." (Poor girl left for dead.)_

_The blonde and brunette kneeled in either side of her._

_"Hey, sweetheart, are you okay?" the blonde, definitely American, asked as the brunette looked over her injuries. Felicity slowly shook her head, no._

_"Don't try to move, I'm sure you have at minimum two broken ribs and some internal bleeding." The brunette said, her accent evident._

" Ta-er al-Usfar and Nyssa carried me to Nanda Parbat. They took care of me… healed me. " Felicity spoke, a far off look in her eyes. "I stayed in Nanda Parbat for five months. Ra's didn't want me around at first. I remember him telling Nyssa that she needed to stop picking up strays.

"He decided that I had potential after seeing me in action. I was trained with the League. They wanted me to kill… but Sara and Nyssa didn't want that for me. They taught me to lace the blades then stab just in the right spot. Then they would take care of the supposedly dead bodies. They were slowly sneaking everyone out of the League. At least the ones that wanted out, anyways.

"During my time there, Nyssa told me about the Magician. He'd come to Nanda Parbat after his wife died and trained with them for two years. He's the only person that Ra's had ever allowed to leave."

"So how did you get out?" Diggle intercepted.

Ta-er al-Usfar and Nyssa snuck me out through a secret passageway. I just had to agree to lay low. If I'm found… the League will kill me. Leaving is only punishable by death." Felicity explained as clarity washed over Oliver's face.

"And Malcolm is the Magician… so if he knows about your time with the League…" Oliver trailed off.

"He'll tip them off so that they could kill me." Felicity sighed.

"How do we know that Merlyn hasn't already done so?" Diggle asked.

"If he knows, which he probably does, then he'll definitely tell them… if he'd already done so, the League would be here by now… they waste no time." She answered.

"So what does all if this mean?" Diggle asked.

"It means that you two need to stay away from me. In the off chance that the League knows about me, they'll kill you both if they find out that you're working with me." She responded, looking down at her hands.

"No." Oliver stated quickly. "This means  _we_  prepare for a war. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to protect you."

"What do you mean we?" Felicity asked, just to be sure, though she knew the answer.

"I mean... as long as this is something you're okay with..." Oliver began, seeming to be carefully choosing his words. "I'd like you to be a part of...  _this."_  He gestured around the lair.

"I second that," Diggle began, "I've seen your skills. I think you'd be a hell of an asset here."

"Thanks.." she smiled, her phone suddenly ringing. She pulled the smartphone from her waistband, quickly answering when she saw who was calling.

"Hey, everything okay?" She asked, prior to a short pause. "That's great. I'm glad she's doing better… yeah, I spoke to him..." she trailed off, glancing up at Oliver. "I'll explain when I get there, just give me twenty minutes to change out of my gear and I'll be on my way... alright, see you in a half."

"Everything okay?" Oliver asked, figuring that he was mentioned in the call.

"Yeah," Felicity said, standing and pulling on her wig. "Laurel's awake... and I guess I gotta explain to Lance that she was attacked by an Arrow copycat." Oliver nodded in understanding before replying.

"Let me walk you out." Oliver offered, as they both pulled on their masks, then Oliver, his hood.

"Thanks. It was nice seeing you, John." She smiled.

"You too. Be careful." He warned, as she nodded.

It was a silent walk before they were in the alley, standing just feet from her Harley. She sighed before turning to face Oliver.

"How are you feeling? After the vertigo?" He asked, standing about two feet away.

"I'm okay. Team Flash really took care of me. I'm a bit on edge.. but I'm fine." She replied, her fuchsia lips curving into a convincing smile.

"Good..." he trailed off. Why did he suddenly feel so awkward near her?

"This is so weird..." she muttered, speaking his mind.

"Hell of a coincidence." He chuckled.

"Yea... and you kinda sorta dumped me for my alter ego." She joked.

"You slept with my alter ego before we broke things off." He retorted in a joking manner, slowly inching closer to her.

"Hey, you're just as guilty!" She laughed, punching his arm, Oliver enjoying the mesmerizing sound.

"So... what does this mean... for us?" Oliver asked, suddenly serious.

"Umm... I feel like this should actually make things much easier... but..." Felicity fumbled with her words. A relationship  _should_  be easier... right? "Give me a couple of days? Just to absorb all of this information. Identities, Malcolm being alive..."

"Take all the time you need." Oliver smiled. "But..."

"But what?" She asked, her bright blue eyes staring into his. Oliver closed the last few inches of distance between them, sealing his lips to hers. It was a sweet, short kiss, and that was all he needed at the moment.

To feel close to her.

Because he knew, that even more so now, she was what he wanted.

"What was that for?" She asked, lips just centimeters from his.

"I couldn't let you leave without kissing you first." He admitted. "I know you're a bit confused, but I'd still like to be with you… even more than before."

"I'm close to confident that this is what I want to." She whispered, pecking his lips twice more, before stepping back. "So... see you tomorrow at work?"

"Yep." He smiled. "Text me when you get there so that I know you made it safely."

"Will do." Felicity winked, throwing a leg over her bike. " Night, Arrow." She smiled over her shoulder, as she pulled off onto the street. She was gone in a matter of seconds, replaced by a touch of Autumn breeze.

" Night, Clover." He muttered into the night.

* * *

It was pushing one a.m. and Felicity was finally home. After leaving the Arrow Cave, she rode across the Glades to her own lair. She showered, changed, and took two shots of Vodka before heading to Starling General.

She'd sat down and spoken with Lance, in regards to Arrow. No, of course she didn't reveal his identity, she couldn't betray him that way. After a long speech, filled with countless "please trust me on this ones", he finally gave in. She swore to him that she'd take care of the matter at hand, and he gave her his faith.

The time spent with Laurel had been appreciated. It was nice to see her up and about, (even if she was toughing it through the abdominal pain of her wound). Laurel would be discharged some time over the next 24-48 hours.

Felicity stepped into her apartment that she hadn't seen in just over a week. The air seemed stale, so she walked through the home, opening windows along the way.

She opened the bedroom door, her ankle boots long abandoned in the hallway. It had been a hell of a night and Arrow—  _Oliver_  was weighing heavily in her mind. She felt like she'd known it all along. She'd been in denial and then there was the copycat.

She knew that what she said earlier was true. It should be easy for them to have an actual relationship since they and the vigilantes were one in the same.

So now the question was, what was she waiting for?

She couldn't really say she was waiting for the "right time". Would there ever be a right time?

Malcolm was on the loose, that was the hardest thing to accept, and the League could pose a potential threat. Her life wasn't going to have a right time any time soon.

So why wait?

Felicity pulled her phone from her jeans pocket and scrolled through her contacts.

_Oliver._

Her thumb hovered over his name, but she promptly decided against it, tossing the device onto her bed.

With a sigh, Felicity pulled off her clothes, dropping them into the hamper as she walked to the bathroom. She would shower and go to bed. She could talk to Oliver after work.

It wasn't long before she opted for a bubble bath and red wine, a few lavender-vanilla candles littering her bathroom. She tried her best to relax, but Felicity couldn't stop thinking about her phone on the bed.

Three glasses of wine later, the tub was drained, candles out, and she was padding down the hall towards her room. Once inside, she snatched up her phone and sent a quick text:

**FS,**  2:04 a.m.: Hey, you up?

**OQ,**  2:04 a.m.: Yes, what's up? Are you OK?

Okay, so she definitely hadn't been expecting such a quick response. She wasn't entirely sure about what she was going to say to him. She tightened the towel around her body and sat on her bed.

**OQ,**  2:09 a.m.: Felicity?

**FS,**  2:10 a.m.: Yes! Sorry

**FS,**  2:10 a.m.: I'm fine, I was just wondering if you could maybe come over…

Felicity threw the phone on her bed and began pacing in anticipation. Nothing good ever happens after two a.m.

But what's the worst that could happen? She just wanted to talk about them and making it work, that's all. No…  _adultery…_

**OQ,**  2:11a.m.: I'll be there in 10

Okay,  _juuust_  in case… Felicity flew into action, sobering slightly in her frenzy. She quickly brushed her teeth and dressed in pastel pink satin sleep shorts, with a white lace trim and a matching camisole—opting to go braless, 'cause you know… just in case.

She pulled the hair tie out of her hair, allowing her blonde locks to cascade over her shoulders. She put on her glasses, for fear of looking like she was trying too hard, and put on a touch of lip balm, before quickly tidying her room.

She had just finished when she heard the knock on her door. She grabbed her deep, purple satin robe, the hem landing a few inches above her knees, and jogged to the door.

After a deep breath, she snatched her glasses back off and opened the door, Oliver standing there as if he just walked out of a catalogue. He was dressed in a fitted dark blue t-shirt, a black leather jacket, and jeans. The best part: he'd brought pizza.

"Wow, this is like the opening scene of a terribly cliché porno." Felicity muttered, her eyes popping open when Oliver chuckled. "Not that I watch porn, or that we're going to have sex, I mean it's not that I don't want to, you're actually really good at it, but that wasn't my intent when I text you, and great going, Smoak, I've already babbled myself into a hole."

Oliver, the patient man he was, stood with a smirk on his face, and an eyebrow raised. Felicity, looked away, muttering a quick apology.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Oh, right! Yea, sorry, come in." she smiled, stepping aside, and locking the door behind him.

"I brought wine, too." He smiled, holding up a bottle of Merlot as he placed the pizza on the coffee table.

"Awesome…" she trailed off, his smile, melting her core. Why the hell couldn't she keep her hormones in check? She couldn't help but stare at the man before her. He looked so good in jeans and he was wearing the hell out of that jacket.

Oliver cocked his head when he noticed her staring. He took this moment to look her over, growing slightly hard at the sight of Felicity's creamy legs and the contrasting purple satin that covered her body.

_Damn, she looked good_.

Felicity swallowed, before licking her lips, and slowly untied her robe, letting the silky material to fall at her feet. Oliver eyes darkened immediately as he slowly stepped closer to her.

He was no fool, he'd been in a similar position more times than he'd like to admit. He could read her sign clear as day, and no way was he going to deny this woman. She mimicked his movements, helping to close the distance, her hands landing on her biceps.

"I know we're supposed to talk first but…" Oliver began, lips just a breath from hers and his hands on her waist.

"We will…" she trailed off, swallowing his scent, kind of forest-y with a hint of body wash. "We'll talk, just… just kiss me." She whispered, leaning up on her toes to lock her lips with his.

Oliver's hands clenched the satin material on her waist, entrapping Felicity's bottom lip with his teeth. He nibbled on it gently, relishing in the feel of her fingers threading through his hair.

Felicity delved her tongue into Oliver's mouth, demanding control as she pushed her body against his. She'd felt Oliver's hands slide down her waist, stopping just above her ass, as though asking permission.

She answered him by thrusting her hips against his, his hands accepting the invitation before kneading her soft ass into oblivion. She moaned into his mouth, Oliver growling in retort. The simple action had soaked her shorts.

Felicity had a death grip on Oliver's broad shoulders as she simultaneously steered him towards the sofa and pushed off his jacket. He landed on the sofa with a huff, surprised by the predatory look on her face.

Then she  _pounced…_

… and he'd  _never_  been more turned on in his entire life than he was at that very moment.

Straddling him, Felicity attacked his lips while his hands pulled her impossibly close. She ground her pelvis against his, earning a deep growl from Oliver. He was now mimicking her moves, sliding his hands up her back, gliding on the smooth skin.

She slowly pulled away from his lips, sitting up, hands on his chest— signaling to stop. Oliver's eyes squinted slightly, in confusion.

"I'm sorry… are you okay?" he asked, looking somewhat nervous.

"Yeah, of course. More than okay… nothing to apologize for." Felicity replied with a small smile. "I'm just… I'm just glad that  _you're_  Arrow." She whispered, with a small shake of her head.

"Well, I'm really glad that  _you're_  Clover." He chuckled, gently stroking her bare back, sending chills up her spine.

"Fuck it, we can talk tomorrow." Felicity muttered, yanking off her camisole, and pressing her bare breast against his t-shirt clad chest as she kissed him again.

Oliver pushed his hips against her, as her hands found hem of his shirt. He sat up just long enough to help her get it off, tossing it to be forgotten in the middle of the living room.

His lips caught hers, pulling her bare chest against his, enjoying the feel of her silky smooth skin against his damaged skin. He almost felt as though Felicity was healing him. He could stay here, kissing her forever.

Their lips were mid frenzy when she muttered  _'bedroom'_  against his mouth. Oliver grabbed her ass, lifting them both, and sucking her pulse point as he carried her.

He really hoped Felicity wouldn't fall asleep this time, he really couldn't handle blue balls right now. He tossed her half naked body onto her bed then removed his shoes and jeans before climbing over her. His lips hovered above hers, hands tight on her waist. He couldn't believe he was here with her. Everything he'd gone through since meeting Clover led him here.

To  _everything_  he wanted.

"Oliver," her angelic voice panted, "if you're not inside of me soon, I'll kick your ass." He chuckled and pressed his lips to hers before sitting back, and pulling the satin shorts down the silk skin of her legs.

She was exposed for him.

Felicity Smoak and all her glory, beautiful blonde hair fanned around her like a halo. Their eyes locked momentarily, then his eyes flitted down to her soaking wet pussy- glistening with anticipation.

He'd never wanted to taste anything more.

Strong, muscular arms hooked behind Felicity's knees, spreading her open for him. One lick of her lips, and he'd decided that enough time had been wasted. Oliver leaned down, slowly dragging the tip of his tongue down her core.

_So sweet._

_His_  tongue swirled around her hardening nub, making her moan in pleasure. His hot, wet tongue tantalizingly slid down to her hole, pushing inside, and licking her out.

"Oooh, Oliver!" She whined as he replaced his tongue with two calloused fingers, curling at her g-spot. He continued working his fingers inside of her burning rose, as he nibbled her wet lips and clit.

Oliver groaned when her hips began to buck. She was chasing her orgasm and he couldn't wait to taste her sweet juices release all over his tongue. He flipped onto his back, pulling her with him, inviting her to ride his face to oblivion.

Felicity's knees bracketed his head, her hands holding the headboard to keep balance, and pussy just millimeters from his awaiting mouth. He reached out his tongue, swirling it over her dripping mound, relishing in her pleasured moans.

She began rocking her hips, slowly at first, moaning and panting with each swipe of his tongue. Her moves became more frantic as his tongue found her hole again. He could feel her clenching around his tongue, and knew she was close. She just needed a little push send her tumbling over the edge.

Oliver brought his arm up, flicking her clit with his thumb, his tongue still going. Just a few swipes and the beautiful blonde melted into a puddle, shouting his name along the way.

"So delicious..." he muttered, as Felicity made her way down his body, kissing every scar she could find. Her small hands gripped the waistband of his boxer briefs, pulling them off in one fluid motion.

It wasn't long before her hot mouth was wrapped around the head of his cock, Oliver's eyes rolling to the back of his head. One hand tangled into her blonde hair as she lowered her head, taking in every inch, his tip now in her throat. He came to life when she swallowed around him, then began a bobbing motion.

"Fuck, Felicity!" He groaned, slowly fucking her mouth. He wouldn't last much longer, he knew it. Oliver grabbed her arms, pulling her so that she straddled his cock. "I forgot a fucking condom."

"It's fine, I have an IUD." She whispered, lining his hard cock with her center. Deep groans elicited from the two as she lowered herself. Oliver stretching her in even more deliciously than the first time.

Slowing the pace, he gently caressed her back, staring up at the face of the woman that captivated his heart. "What?" she whispered, her cheeks blushing in her dimly lit room.

"It's just..."  _I love you._.. "you're  _remarkable,_  Felicity Smoak." He whispered back, his heart constricting at the words he  _wanted_  to tell her.

"Well, thank you for remarking on it." She muttered, leaning down to kiss him, the simple action making her mewl at the feel of him inside of her.

_This_  is what their first time should have felt like.

Felicity knew that she had strong feelings for Oliver. It was a bit confusing and definitely a new feeling for her. She had loved Cooper Seldon...  _right?_

But what she was feeling for Oliver was different.

It was more.

But did she  _love_  him?

She swallowed her thoughts. She would live in this moment, they would talk in the morning...

_Wait..._  was he staying the night?

There were so many things she hadn't thought about before doing this. What did all of this mean? They really should've talked first.

Felicity broke out of her stupor, at the feel of Oliver's fingers stiffening on her hips. She pulled back and looked down at him apologetically.

"Are you okay?" He asked, cautiously. He looked worried, as though he thought he did something wrong. "Felicity, if you changed your mind... if you don't want to do this, I'm okay with that."

"It's not that," she began with a smile, "I just... can't believe this is real." She pressed his lips to his once more. "I want this... I want this more than anything."

Oliver's arms wrapped around her waist, rolling them over, careful not to slip out of her. Felicity's hands, of course, found their way back into his hair. Planting a gentle kiss on her nose, he gently stroked her left thigh, pulling it around his waist.

Oliver held his weight on his forearms as Felicity brought her other leg around his body. They stayed like that for a moment, she was unsure of how long, just staring at each other. Everything around them fading away.

It was like in this moment, they were just...  _normal._  None of their problems existed. There was no Arrow. No Clover. Just them...

_Oliver and Felicity._

Oliver made the next move, slowly tipping his head down to kiss her slightly swollen lips. A kiss so sweet and tender, that Felicity could feel her heart shatter into a million butterflies.

He slowly pulled out, nearly to the tip, Felicity already clenching around him, eliciting a deep growl. Oliver kept his lips on hers as he slammed back in, her lips parting against his with a soft gasp. He kept a slow rhythm, wanting her to feel his love for her.

He pulled his head back, watching her darkened blue eyes flutter open. His left hand traveled down her side, hooking underneath her thigh, then hooking her leg over his shoulder.

Picking up his pace, he continued his thrusts. The only sounds filling her small apartment were their moans, pants, and sweaty skin slapping in the abyss.

"Fuck, Oliver... I'm- I'm close." Felicity moaned, further motivating him. His rhythm picked up as his lips attacked her neck. The feel of her sweet heat clenching him was enough to put him in a frenzy. His thrusts became untimed, rhythm slipping away as Felicity came with a howl- Oliver following behind, grunting into her neck

"Fuck, that was amazing." He murmured into her neck, feeling her wild pulse beneath his lips.

"I could really get use to this." She whispered, lifting his chin to kiss him.

"Me too." Oliver muttered against her lips, just as Felicity's stomach growled, making him chuckle. "Pizza?"

"Oh, God yes!" She laughed, as he slid out of her and climbed out of her bed, heading for his briefs. ' _Holy frack, he has a fantastic ass.'_  Oliver head whipped around, an eyebrow raised.

"See something you like, Smoak?" He asked, jokingly, making Felicity blush a deep red.

"I- you- I didn't-" she stuttered, as he pulled on his briefs.

Oliver winked before heading to the living room. Felicity leaned back in her bed, basking in the afterglow when she heard it sound of a struggle.

Oliver was fighting someone.

She quickly pulled on her shorts and a tank top, running out the living room.

Oliver was on his knees, a sword held to his chest and another to his back.

By two members of the League.

"Sarab? Is that you?" Felicity asked.

"Haza Ansa, you need to come with us." He replied, evading her question.

"Let him go and we'll talk." She replied. The man looked to Sarab, who nodded, then they both put the swords away. Oliver stood and looked to Felicity.

"You know these guys?" He asked.

"One of them." She murmured.

"Now, Haza Ansa. You know how this works." The second man said.

"Sarab, didn't Nyssa and Ta-er al-Usfar tell you?" She asked, pleading with her eyes. "Sarab, I can't go back there. Ra's will kill me."

"You have one week. We have eyes all over the city and I have orders to bring you in. Dead or alive." Sarab told her.

"And if I don't comply?" Felicity pushed.

"Ra's will unleash hell on your city. And your loved ones." Sarab began. "Make the right decision, Haza Ansa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to tell you guys any of the characters that belong to the Arabic names. If you don't remember and decide to look it up then you'll know, and if not, then hearing the names will be a surprise. Your choice.
> 
> I will be updating all of my stories as soon as I can. I greatly appreciate everyone's patience!
> 
> Xoxo cloverlotus


	13. Author's Note

**First and foremost, a huge thank you to every single commenter and supporter. I know it's been a while since I've given you an update and I'm eternally sorry. I will be replying to comments throughout the week!**

So, for the explanation. 

Chemo has been a cold hearted  **bitch**.

 I haven't had any improvements and frankly I've been exhausted and sick all of the time. My appetite is nonexistent and I haven't felt happy in a while. Thus, I've been majorly uninspired.

I'm sorry if I got your hopes up thinking it was an update, but I  **promise** that I will not abandon any of my stories. 

I am currently working on Arrow through a Clover, Light in the Dark, an untitled one-shot, a NYE one shot (that I started back in December), Forgive Me, and up in Smoak. I will get everything updated as soon as I can. I intend on having AtaC and Forgive Me updated next week.

Thank you all for your patience and please continue to bear with me. 

 

Lots of Love ,

Chloe Lovato aka cloverlotus 


	14. League of Assassins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't the greatest chapter, but I'm glad that my muse helped my write something for you guys. I have the story synopsis planned out, and I might do some one shots in this universe to help the creative juices flow lol.
> 
> Thank you for the birthday and well wishes. I will respond to comments as soon as I can.

**Flashback**

_“Dinner was delicious, Mr. Lance, thank you.” Felicity smiled at the older man, feeling her phone vibrate in the waist of her leather pants for the fifth time that night. “I’m sorry, I should take this. My friends may be worried.” She said, fishing her phone out of her waist band._

  
_“Of course, living room’s that way if you need a little privacy.” Laurel spoke up pointing the doorway that separated the dining room from the living room._

  
_“Thanks.” Felicity smiled, before standing and answering the phone. “I’m safe and alive, mama bear.” She said, walking into the living room._

  
_“Well then you could’ve answered my last ten calls, why didn’t you? We were worried! Barry found your motorcycle and blood on the sidewalk, which might I add tested to be yours, so where the fuck are you?!” Caitlin yelled, and whoa was mama bear pissed, she rarely dropped F-bombs. Felicity walked around, taking in the cold but somewhat homey atmosphere of the living room. There was a badge on the coffee table, a stack of SCPD files, and an empty to-go coffee cup, the lid just a few inches away._

  
_“I ran into Plastique and Geomancer, didn’t end too well.” Felicity began, as she walked towards the bookshelf, admiring the collection. Majority of the books were worn as though they’d been read over and over, (The Odyssey, Pride and Prejudice, and the Great Gatsby just to name a few). There were also a lot of law school books, which she could only imagine belonged to Laurel considering that she was at CNRI._

  
_“And?” Caitlin pushed._

  
_“A woman found me and brought me to her place. She and her dad patched me up. I just had dinner with them. Someone offers you a home cooked meal, you don’t turn it down. That’s just bad manners.” Felicity said as though it was obvious, walking towards the entertainment center to look at the photos._  
_“Glad to know you’re out making friends, while your team was worried sick about you.” Caitlin replied, her anger beginning to dissipate._

  
_“I’m really sorry, babe. Call off the search team.” Felicity responded, her eyes skimming the photos, many of two little girls, younger than seven. One blonde and one brunette, with a brown haired woman and a younger Quentin Lance. “For what it’s worth, it was a damn good chicken marsala.”_

  
_“Well then, you better find a way to get me some if you want my forgiveness.” Caitlin half joked, as Felicity’s eyes caught sight a one photo. Laurel and… Ta-er al-Usfar?_

  
_“Um, Cait, I uh… I’ll call you back.”_

 

The moment Sarab and the other man had gone, Felicity turned to look at Oliver. “Are you okay?” she asked, hardly above a whisper. He glanced over at her almost looking confused.

  
“I’m perfectly fine.” He said before two more League members came crashing through the window.  
“Oh for fucks sake!” she yelled in irritation as her living room window shattered.

  
“Haza Ansa . Come with us if you want to live.”

  
“Nyssa?” she asked staring at the two women, dressed in League armor, their faces covered. “Ta-er al-Usfar?” Felicity’s eyes looked into the blue ones that were focused on Oliver in surprise. Oliver looked between the League women, then down at Felicity, his brow raised in question.

  
“Yes.” Nyssa spoke, uncovering her face.

  
“Did you fuckers really have to break my window?” Felicity asked, Oliver realizing how comfortable she was with the two particular members of the League. He wondered why the League kept calling her Haza Ansa, and why was the blonde one staring him down so hard?

  
“Sorry, about that. Anyway, I know that you’ve already spoken with Sarab. We need to hide you underground for a while. My father will stop at nothing to find you.”

  
“Nyssa, I can’t just leave.” Felicity replied, shaking her head. “Ra’s will destroy the city. Sarab said so.”  
“So then what do you plan to do?” Nyssa asked, seriously.

  
“I can’t turn myself over to the League. Not with Malcolm on the loose.” Felicity replied, looking up to Oliver. “Still up for a war?”

  
“I have your back.” Oliver agreed, earnestly. Felicity looked back over to her friends in black.  
“Then we fight?” Felicity asked the two intruders in her living room.

  
Nyssa sighed before turning to Ta-er al-Usfar, who finally took her attention off of Oliver. She uncovered her face, leaving Oliver stunned.

  
“Sara?” he breathed. “You’re—you’re alive?”

  
“Hi, Ollie.” Sara offered a small smile, not quite reaching her eyes. “Felicity is right, Nyssa. My family is here. We have to fight if we’re going to keep them safe. We can’t not let her avenge her mother’s death.”

  
“So we call in reinforcements.” Felicity began. “I’ll talk to Sarab, he has a weak spot for me, I’ll get him on our side. I have my team out in Central City, I can talk to them, and my friend Tatsu.”

  
“Tatsu? Tatsu what?” Oliver asked, knowing he’d only heard that name once.

  
“Yamashiro, you know her?” Felicity asked in disbelief.

  
“No fucking way.” He muttered, slightly overwhelmed by the last 24 hours.

  
“Don’t tell me  _you’re_ the American archer that I’m even better than, her words not mine.” She teased, already knowing the answer.

  
“You know what, when the whole League business is over, it’s you and me. One on one.” Oliver replied, being the competitive man that he is.

  
“You must really like getting beat by me.” She chuckled, looking up at him.

“I won’t hold back this time.” He retorted, their faces inches apart at this point.  
Nyssa and Sara had been whispering to each other about a plan. They looked up to find Felicity and Oliver practically nose to nose, lost in their own world. The brunette cleared her throat, catching both their attention, their heads snapping in Nyssa’s directions and Felicity’s cheeks red as apples.

“Sorry!” she squeaked, making Sara smirk in amusement.

“We go to war.” Nyssa agreed. “You had better be ready for this Smoak. You have less than a week to train your team, and Ta-er and I will train ours.”

“Nyssa, are you sure you want to go against your father?”’ Felicity asked, suddenly.

“He disowned me the day you left. He plans to keep it that way until you die by my sword. So yes, Haza Ansa, I am sure.” Nyssa replied, not a twinge of resentment in her tone.

“He’s not letting her go without a duel.” Sara murmured to her beloved.

“Then we don’t let it come to that.” Oliver interjected. “We take him down (ITLCZ) _before_ it comes to that.”

“We can’t .” All three women spoke simultaneously.

“It’s impossible.” Nyssa continued, “He will wait out until the week’s end. Either Haza surrenders herself or he creates hell on earth.” Oliver looked down at Felicity, wondering her thought process.

“I just need time to get Malcolm off the board.” She spoke up, looking at the two women in her living room.

“You mustn’t take long, Haza.” Nyssa replied. “My father is willing to kill millions of innocent civilians to get to you.”

“Well, Sarab said one week.” Felicity said, nodding to herself as she formulated a plan. “I’ll track down Merlyn and make sure he stays down this time. I just need to find him before the week is up.”

“Felicity, are you sure you still—” Oliver began.

  
“Oliver, I’m positive. This is something that I need to do.” Felicity interrupted. “Besides I’m pretty sure he and your mom are up to something.” She said, remember her short conversation with Malcolm in the office.

  
“What the hell am I going to do about my mother.” Oliver asked, more to himself.

  
“Okay, you guys go.” Felicity sighed, gesturing to Sara and Nyssa. “I have less than a week to find out what Merlyn and Queen are up to, _and_  findMerlyn. I need to get to work.”

  
“Stay in touch… and sorry about your window.” Nyssa as she walked towards it to head out, her boots crunching the glass.

  
“Ollie, my family can’t know that I’m here, okay?” Sara said to Oliver.

  
“Don’t worry, I met your family already.” Felicity spoke up, surprising Sara. “Laurel kinda saved me and your dad made chicken marsala. Also fun fact, your sister and I are pretty much best friends. Don’t worry, I won’t tell her that you broke my window. I mean, I won’t tell her that you were here at all. Or your dad. I mean, not that your dad was here, but we won’t tell him that you were… here. Sorry.”

“I’m amazed that with all you’ve been through, you can still babble like that. Good for you, Smoak.” Sara smirked, heading for the window.

“Wait, why can’t they know you’re here?” Oliver asked.

  
“It’s just not safe. Just trust me, okay? And also because I can’t stay. I can’t make them lose me again.” Sara finished, before following Nyssa out of the window.

  
“I think I’ve had enough for one night.” Oliver murmured when they were gone.

  
“Sex, pizza, then more sex?” Felicity asked before her brain could stop her.

  
“In that order.” Oliver replied, as they turned around and head back for her bedroom.

  **The Next Day**

  
Felicity woke up to the smell of food wafting through her apartment. She sat up in bed, stretching, and relishing in the soreness of her muscles. It was 7:30 in the morning, and she suddenly remembered that she had to go back to work this morning. The concept of going back to her somewhat-normal-but-not-normal-at-all life was nice, but the League’s threat was still weighing on her mind.

  
She climbed out of her bed, slipping into Oliver’s t-shirt, and made a quick bathroom run. After taking care of business, she quickly brushed her teeth, and ran her brush through her bed-hair. Leaving her hair loose, she perched her glasses on her nose, and head for the kitchen.

  
“Good morning, Mr. Queen.” Felicity smiled, stepping into Oliver’s view, as he sat her plate on the counter.

“Well, then.” Oliver murmured, his eyes travelling over her body in his shirt. “Good morning, Miss Smoak.” The short blonde sauntered over to, Oliver grabbing her hips the moment she was close enough. “Thanks for not falling asleep on me last night.”

  
“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” she asked, sliding her arms around his neck and pulling his head closer to hers.

  
“Not a chance.” He murmured against her lips, before pressing a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.

“Breakfast. Then we can save water and shower together.” He winked, pulling away from her. The pair had breakfast in a comfortable silence before getting in the shower.  
And _of course_ they got dirty before they got clean.

* * *

 

Felicity was at her desk, tablet in hand, committing herself to research at every bit of downtime. She’d yet to find any sign of Malcolm, regardless of thoroughly searching every traffic and security camera, using her facial recognition software.

  
“Hey.” Oliver’s voice startled her, and she quickly glanced at the time before turning to him. It was already after two o’clock, and she’d just realized that she’d yet to go out for lunch. “I noticed that you haven’t left your desk yet, so I figured I’d bring you lunch and coffee.” He smiled, as though reading her mind, as he lifted the white paper bag from Big Belly Burger.

  
“Queen. You’re the greatest.” Felicity beamed, fully prepared to practically inhale her food.

  
“Anything for the best EA there is.” He replied, keeping a respectable distance from her since they were in the office. “Seriously, thank you for the notes and suggestions on Palmer Tech. I’ve never felt so confident after such a big meeting.”

  
“Oh my gosh! Oliver, why didn’t you remind me? I was I totally going to go with you.” Felicity asked, feeling guilty for breaking her promise.

  
“You were busy, and stressing over our… situation.” Oliver shrugged. “Besides, your notes were phenomenal. Ray Palmer actually seemed impressed by me.”

  
“Well, I’m glad I could help.” She answered, relaxing into her chair, and cracking her knuckles, before plucking a few fries from the bag.

  
“Come to my office, let’s talk in there.” Oliver suggested, nodding towards the glass room a few feet away. Felicity agreed and carried her food, while Oliver carried her coffee and tablet. Once inside his office, she sat in the chair across from his and toed off her heels.

  
“So, how’s the search going?” he asked, sitting the coffee in front of the blonde, and placing her tablet far away enough to avoid any incidents.”

  
“I haven’t found anything, yet. I have a search going for anything funky with his bank statements, hopefully something comes up.” Felicity answered before taking a healthy bite of her belly buster.

  
“Is there anything I can do?” Oliver asked. “Dig and I will be hitting the streets tonight to look around.”  
“He’s the Magician. If he doesn’t want to be found, the he won’t be.”

  
“And you’re Felicity Smoak. You can find him.”

  
“I just wish I had some kind of sign or a clue.” Felicity sighed, pulling her phone from her cardigan pocket, and sending off a text to check on Laurel. Oliver took a bite of his own burger as his phone chimed.

“I think I have an idea.” Felicity spoke, as Oliver checked his texts. His mother was reminding him about his sister’s upcoming birthday party.

“If it’s an idea of yours, it can’t be anything short of genius.” Oliver assured her..

“Not that big of an idea, but what if I just break in? Have a look around his mansion, see what I can find.” She replied, before popping a few fries into her mouth. “I doubt he’s staying there if he knows that I know he’s alive.”

“Yeah, but Dig and I are going with you.” Oliver replied, as the large-armed man entered the office.

“Right, the Merlyn mansion is heavily guarded, but the three of us can handle it.” Diggle stated, as Felicity swiveled in the chair to face him.

“Hi, Diggle.” She waved with a smile. She liked him, even though she hadn’t know him very long. He was huge and intimidating, but he had such a great vibe about him.

“Hi, Smoak, how’s everything?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“As good as it can be, I guess.” She shrugged. “Listen, I know your kinda anti-suit, but my friend would really love to design one for you since I may have mentioned that a member of Team Arrow doesn’t wear one. Nothing too crazy, I promise. What do you say?”

“I guess we could try it out.” Diggle shrugged nonchalantly, nearly making Oliver’s jaw drop.

“Wait, what? I’ve been suggesting it for the last six months, but Felicity asks and now you’re suddenly so open to the idea?” Oliver asked, feigning hurt.

  
“Are you kidding?” Felicity smiled. “How could anyone say no to this face?” Oliver smiled, staring at her as though she hung the moon.

  
“I know I certainly can’t.” He murmured, leaning towards her slightly over his desk. Felicity could tell from the look in his eye that he wanted to kiss her, and she’d be lying if she said she’d hadn’t wanted the same. Distracting him, she picked up one of her last three fries, and held it in front of his mouth. Oliver grabbed it between he teeth, keeping his eyes locked on hers as he chewed it.

  
Just as Diggle was about to say something, a female cleared her throat behind them. Oliver looked up recognizing her immediately.

  
“If your done doing… whatever it is you’re doing with your secretary, I’d like to speak to you alone.” The tall brunette deadpanned, staring Felicity down.

  
“Isabel, what are you doing here?”


	15. Table Salt Dinner for 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sexual tension rises between Oliver and Felicity; Laurel is released from the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a couple of months, but I've been busy busy closing out my wedding plans. (That and going back and forth with my fiance about whether we should honeymoon in Bali or Dubai). 
> 
> So, who else is excited for the season finale? I'm pumped, and I can't wait to see the direction Beth Schwartz takes the show next season. 
> 
> Don't forget to comment with your predictions for the next chapter!

  
“Your mother sent me. Something about an unqualified and incompetent EA who took a week off of work, when she had only just got the job.” Isabel snarked, keeping her eyes trained on Felicity. Oliver rolled his eyes, while recalling the burden that was currently his mother.

“Incompetent?” Felicity asked, raising a brow. “Tell that to my dual masters degree.” The brunette woman approached the blonde, stopping as Felicity stood up.

“Isabel Roachev. Vice President of acquisitions at Stellmoor International.” She said, a cocky tone to her voice.

“Felicity Smoak. MIT Class of 09.”

“I see.” Isabel replied, glancing down at the blonde’s outfit, who just chuckled with a brow raised.

“Mr. Queen,” Felicity said, turning her back to Isabel so that she could look at Oliver. She winked at him, with a smirk, and he couldn’t help but smirk back. “I’ve already gotten your calendar up to date, emailed you the notes for tomorrow’s meeting, and set up that Kord and Palmer meeting. If there’s not anything else, I’ll be at my desk. Thank you for lunch.”

“I think that’ll be all Ms. Smoak. I fully appreciate your competence.” Oliver smiled as he stood, glancing at Isabel, as Felicity mouthed _‘what_   _a bitch’._ John smirked, and immediately left the office, Felicity following behind, as Oliver did his best not to chuckle.

* * *

 

 

Felicity began shutting down her computers around seven that evening, as Oliver left his office, locking the door behind him. They were the last two left on this floor, the only others in the building being Diggle and the security in the lobby. Felicity slung her purse over her shoulder, her heels in her hand, and comfy ballet flats on her feet. Oliver silently followed her to the elevator, keeping a barely respectable amount of space between them.

They waited for the elevator, looking anywhere but each other, and the moment the doors opened, Felicity walked into the corner… the camera’s _only_ blind spot. Oliver’s eyebrow raised, quickly getting the hint and following her lead. She turned to face him, her pupils blown wide at the sight of the primal look on his face. It was only a second until he had her pressed into the corner, with her legs around his waist.

“You’re coming back to my place later, right?” she asked, fluttering her long lashes with a moan as he pressed into her. He leaned down, kissing her with a smirk.

“Of course, baby. I just have to pick up some clothes.” He murmured before attacking her neck with his mouth.

“Maybe you should leave a few things at my place.” Felicity whispered, leaning her head back to grant Oliver better access to her neck. A breathy moan escaped her lips just as the elevator dinged. Oliver quickly set her back on her feet, and stepped back, grinning at the faint red mark of a hickey forming. Felicity quickly adjusted her skirt, smoothed her hair and took a deep breath.

The doors opened and Oliver gestured for her to go first. Stepping out, Felicity saw Diggle, who glanced at her neck as she quickly brushed by, blush covering her cheeks. She got outside, feeling the cool breeze in the air. She was glad that she’d decided to park right out front. As she unlocked her car, Oliver and Diggle had just left the building. Oliver approached her first, Diggle trailing just behind.

  
“Wait, what’s your plans for right now?” he asked in a low voice, once he was close enough. He couldn’t help it, he so desperately wanted to spend as much time with her as possible knowing that there was some form of potential doom looming in the future. Frankly, he thought that he couldn’t hate Amanda Waller more, but after everything Felicity said, it turns out he was wrong.

“Actually, I’m going to Lance’s for dinner.” She told him. “Laurel’s out of the hospital. You should come with.”

“Oh… no thanks.” Oliver grimaced, “That man hates my guts.” Felicity tipped her head, sparing a glance at Diggle, who happened to be chatting on the phone.

“What did you do, Queen?” the short blonde asked, crossing her arms, nude pumps still in hand. “God, you and Laurel didn’t _sleep_ together did you?”

“No, no!” he cut in, shaking his head. “My best friend, Tommy was in love with her.”

“Tommy Merlyn.” She whispered. “We need to talk about him soon.”

“When I come over tonight.” He said, remembering the day in his office where Clover asked him about Tommy.

“So, what did you do?” she asked, getting back to the matter at hand.

“I took Sara on the Gambit, and that being said, I’m the reason she’s dead… well apparently for the second time  _not_ dead. You know, I’m starting to believe that Sara might be unkillable and speaking of Sara, and starting to get a little freaked about the amount of mutual friends we have.” Oliver rambled.

“You’re starting to sound like me.” Felicity chuckled, lowering her arms, and using her free hand to loosen his tie. “I’ll keep the wolf at bay. Come with me, baby… and tonight I’ll let you _come with_ me.” She murmured suggestively, making Oliver lick his lips.

“Fine.” He gave in easily, before slipping away and heading towards Diggle, who had just hung up his phone and slipped it into his pocket. “Sorry to keep you waiting, man. I’m going to go to Lance’s with Felicity.”

“Lance? But he _hates_ you.” The taller man scoffed.

“Yeah, but I'm in love with her.” He replied, glancing back at the blonde, who was already getting settled in her red mini.

“Have you told _her_ that?” Diggle asked.

“No. I can’t tell her right now. She needs to stay on top of her game. We have a lot to focus on over the next few days, we can't be distracted by our emotions. Lives could be on the line here.” Oliver answered.

“Well, don’t wait too long.” The large armed man shrugged. “Meet you at the lair tonight, I’m gonna have dinner with Carly and AJ. And before you say anything, no its not anything like _that.”_ Oliver rolled his eyes before bumping fists with Diggle.

“Whatever you say, man. See you later.” He nodded, before heading for Felicity’s car, and hating that he was about to squeeze his too broad shoulders into her tiny cooper.

* * *

 

To say that dinner was going well would probably be an over statement, considering that Quentin had been death glaring Oliver the entire time. Laurel and Felicity had kept a flowing conversation, constantly looping the men into it. Laurel talked about going back to work— to which her father said ‘absolutely not, you need to give your time to heal’. Dinner continued on in a flurry of small talk, deathly stares, and Felicity hoping that her hair was keeping her new hickey covered.

“You know what I’ve noticed lately?” Felicity said suddenly, in an attempt to spark up conversation, any kind of conversation.

“What’s that, honey?” Quentin asked, taking a break from shooting eye lasers into Oliver’s skull.

“The entire time I’ve been in Starling, I haven’t had any real down time to just spend with you guys.” The blonde frowned.

“We do things… sometimes.” Laurel replied, frowning slightly in realization.

“Well, yeah, we hang out at my place or yours sometimes, but I mean we don’t go out and experience things.” Felicity attempted to explain.

“Well Ollie certainly seems to like you. I’m sure he’d be happy to take you out to dinner and  _that_ should be a hell of an experience.” Laurel slyly winked at Felicity, her father scoffing, before saying, “Unless things with that _other_ guy are going well.” 

Felicity and Oliver both chuckled, the small blonde shaking her head. She knew that Laurel was just trying to make Oliver jealous by mentioning the other guy, (Arrow). Though Quentin was now in the loop about Felicity and her relations with Arrow, neither he or Laurel knew that Oliver was in fact beneath the mask.

“I meant things like going hiking, or to the movies, or just for coffee, Laurel. And for the record, that is a conversation for you and I to have _alone.”_ Felicity jokingly scolded. “Impolite dinner talk, babe.”

“Whatever, you can just take _me_ out to dinner then.” Laurel winked. “So, how’s Barry doing?”

“Great apparently. He finally got Iris to agree to a date, so he’s been on cloud nine.” The blonde beamed before finishing off her wine.

“It was only a matter of time before she gave in.” Laurel smiled. Felicity sighed, wishing to have this kind of normalcy all of the time, leisure dinners with people she cared about. She glanced over to the two men to find Quentin staring daggers through Oliver again. She and Laurel locked eyes and shook their heads before Felicity poured them both another glass of wine.

* * *

 

After Oliver left, Felicity had driven with Laurel from Quentin’s house to her own. She dropped Laurel off, setting her up with the comm system and tablet, then rode her bike to her lair. The blonde Changed into her suit and artillery, then rode across town to Verdant. She parked her bike in the same place as always, next to Oliver’s, then head for the basement door, putting in the code and letting herself in.

The place seemed to be empty, so Felicity sat in front of the computers, raising the seat dramatically. She pulled a flash drive from her waistband, making a mental note to ask Cisco for pockets next time, and plugged it into the CPU. Her facial recognition software only took about three minutes to install, and in the meantime, she spun around in the chair, letting herself relax a bit while she was still alone. Once the computer beeped, she set up a search for Malcolm Merlyn, hoping to get lucky since she couldn’t find a trace of him earlier. The search was more than likely going to take a while since she was using her cutting edge technology on a an ancient desktop. She was fiddling with her mask in her fingers when, she heard the door.

No, not the basement door. The  _bathroom_ door. She spun quickly in the chair, coming face to face with a dripping wet Oliver, clad in nothing but a olive screen towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. Felicity’s eyes followed a single water droplet as it rolled down the ridges of his abs, then following the path down his V and straight to his…

“Felicity?” he murmured with a smirk. He got closer, taking her hand and pulling her up out of the chair.

“O-Oliver.” She replied, her tongue suddenly feeling thick and dry. He allowed his fingers to trail down her sides, before latching onto her ass. He stared down at her, watching how her blue eyes sparkled against the silvery-grey tone of her wig.

“Hey.” He whispered as her small, gloved hands crept up his shoulders before folding behind his neck.

“Hey, yourself.” Felicity murmured back, mesmerized by the true sense of happiness she read in his eyes. She felt her cheeks heat up as Oliver licked his lips, drawing her full attention to his mouth. She sighed lightly as he tipped his head down, and she leaned up to meet his eager lips. He nibbled on her bottom lip, drawing a breathy moan from her and not puckering her fuchsia lipstick in the slightest.

Their lips moved in sync, a melody of unspoken love and a dance of hope. Felicity moved her hands down to Oliver’s biceps, directing him to sit in the chair. He followed suit, and then she pressed her palms to his thighs, leaning down in front of him and giving him a clear shot of her cleavage.

“Where’s Diggle?” she asked, breathless from their needy kiss.

“He doesn’t get here until ten.” Oliver replied, pushing up her top, nearly drooling at the sight of her bare breasts. He wrapped his lips around one rosy pink nipped, pulling the blonde into his lap as she moaned. Felicity glanced at the computer, noting that it was just a few minutes after nine, then let her eyes flutter shut in pleasure.

Oliver feathered his tongue over the rosy bud, while using his other hand to move the small blonde’s pelvis against his. She basked in the pleasure, before placing her hands on he his chest, and pushing back, a wicked glimmer in her eyes. She stood from his lap, smirking at the confused expression on his face. He seemed to get the picture when she kneeled down between his legs and opened up his towel.

And who was he to argue with her? He’s had more than his fair share of cold showers after fantasizing about this very thing. He slid his body down in the chair, the towel still tucked beneath him, to give Felicity better access. He kept his eyes trained on her as she removed her gloves, dropping them on the floor beside her, then took his cock into her hand, her mouth not far behind.

The moment her tongue touched his head, the computer began beeping, grabbing Felicity’s attention. She murmured apologies, as she leaned up to check the computer.

“What the fuck?” she breathed, standing straight up and leaning closer to the computer. Oliver wrapped the towel around his waist, and looked at the monitor. “Malcolm is in town. Having dinner with your mother.”

“Nothing deflates a hard on like my mother.” He muttered, with a shake of his head. “Where’s are they?”

“Table Salt.” She replied, turning to face him. “Also, I installed facial recognition, but you still need an upgrade. Happy early Hanukkah. And also, sorry about… _that._ I’ll take care of it when you come over tonight.” She winked.

“Can’t wait.” He murmured, pecking her lips. “I’ll go suit up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, don't forget to comment and tell me what you think! This chapter was a bit of a filler, but I wanted to really show the dynamic between the characters that you will be seeing a bit more of in the future. Also, next chapter is going to get a bit....... dirty :P


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Initially, I was going to make this chapter longer, but decided against it, because writing actions takes me forever and it would've taken me an extra two weeks just to get this chapter done. Anywho, thank you for your patience, the plot is finally thickening!

"I don't think you should." Felicity replied, shaking her head as she began formulating a plan. "Look, they just got there." She said, pointing at the monitor. Malcolm had just helped Moira remove her jacket, then pulled out her chair. "Ride with me to the Clover Cave—"

"The  _Clover Cave_?" Oliver cut in.

"I need you to plant a bug near them, so we can listen in. I left a lot of my tech at the cave, sooo come with me to get it." She replied, quickly syncing her phone to the computer, so that she could keep tabs on the live feed. "Bring your suit though,  _just_ in case. You, Oliver Queen, will march into Table Salt and get us dinner, I'll call in the order, just let me know what you want. Get in there, pick it up, plant the bug, and get out. Got it?"

"Aye captain, " Oliver saluted, before pulling her close, and pecking her lips. "I like it when you're bossy." He murmured against her lips, while wrapping the towel back around his waist.

"I know, and if these two don't do anything stupid tonight, then we can do it after dinner." She whispered, seductively.

"Oh, they better fucking _not."_ He growled, squeezing her butt.

"I'll kill him for real this time if they do. Now go put your work clothes back on from earlier." Felicity responded, pulling back, so that Oliver could get dressed. "Minus the tie!"

 

 

The ride to the…  _Clover Cave_ only took about ten minutes from Verdant, though to honest, they were definitely speeding. Oliver began taking in his surroundings when Felicity led him inside.

"I like how it feels so much like Clover in here but your apartment looks more like you. " He nodded appreciatively, noting how much more high tech her computer set up was.

"Well, thanks." The blonde smirked, when she caught Oliver watching her walk to her tech table. "I try to keep my personal life and my vigilante life separate for the most part." She shrugged one shoulder, picking up a small handful of bugs. She then head to her wall of artillery, gesturing for Oliver to follow.

"Laurel is Overwatch, isn't she?" he asked as he began admiring the high quality arrow. "I just mean, that as close as you are with her in real life, it's giving me the idea. Felicity chuckled, with a small shrug.

"I'll make this quick since we don't want to miss Malcolm and Moira." She said, dropping the bugs into his hands. "I can't believe you don't have any of these. I'm going to have a few things made for you soon. And seriously, replace the computers. They're kinda shit." She turned back to the wall grabbing fifteen arrows. She showed them to Oliver in bundles of five, "Magnetic, you saw me use this one the day we met. It's the same arrow that saved you from being turned into swiss cheese, right before you shot me. This next guy will wrap a wire around the enemy, and it's super durable. And this last one here is the newest addition to the family. I haven't used it yet, but it splits into a three headed arrow… I had this one made specifically for Malcolm."

"And these are all for me?" Oliver asked, Felicity nodding before he finished the sentence. "Thank you. Do you make your own arrows?" he asked, while putting them inside of his duffel.

"Nah, I can engineer a bit, but it's not exactly my area of expertise. A good friend of my makes all kinds of things." She replied while grabbing a few things for herself, then leading Oliver back out of the lair.

"You have a lot of friends." Oliver commented.

"Team Flash is like family to me. For a long time they were my only family… then I met Laurel and Quentin, and then I met you." She smiled with a light shrug, walking to her respective motorcycle. It was on the tip of his tongue. He so desperately wanted to tell her that he loved her. But this week was crucial. There was too much to do, and too much to focus on. Neither of them could afford to be distracted, especially if Felicity was right about Malcolm and Moira planning something.

The ride to Table Salt was about fifteen minutes, and when she checked her phone, Malcolm and Moira were eating and taking. They parked their bikes in the alleyway just across the street. Oliver took his bag off of his shoulder before pressing a kiss to Felicity's lips, and handing over his bag. The blonde took a small box from her waistband, making a mental note to ask Cisco to add pockets. She opened the box and pulled a nude colored device, no larger than a millimeter. She carefully balanced it on her finger, sticking it to the skin inside of his ear. She then put the comm device in her own ear.

"Can you hear me?" Felicity asked, as she pulled a device similar in size to the one she'd stuck in his ear. She carefully peeled a small plastic covering, and stuck the device to his right, ring finger.

"Yep." Oliver nodded, touching his pocket to ensure he had his wallet.

"Stick this too your mother or Malcolm. This is going to give us audio when you get in there. Now, go get 'em, Tiger." She winked before using a grappling arrow to scale the five story building, with Oliver's duffel on her shoulder. He let out a small huff of laughter, shaking his head, before crossing the street to Table Salt. He entered the restaurant, first walking up to the hostess, instantly spotting Malcolm and his mother at a table in the back.

"Hi, pick up for Oliver Queen." He smiled at the woman, who was awestruck.

"O-of course! I know who you are!" she giggled, tucking hair behind her ear. She checked the book in front of her, then punched in a number and hit send on a nearby keypad. It was only a moment before a young man came out, handing him a paper bag within a plastic bag, the receipt stapled to the front.

"Thank you." Oliver smiled. "Oh, I see my mother, I'm just going to pop over and say hi, if that's all right."

"Of course it is, Mr. Queen." The woman beamed at him, her lash extensions batting flirtatiously. Oliver bid her goodnight, then head for his mother.

"Mother!" he called when he was just a couple of feet away.

"Oliver!" Moira beamed, happy that he was talking to her at all. He gave her a quick half hug, letting the miniscule device attach to the shoulder of her dress shirt.

"Malcolm." Oliver nodded in greeting.

"Always great to see you, Oliver." The older man replied, shaking the younger hand.

"You too. I was just picking up dinner. Late night at the office." He shrugged, gesturing to the white paper bag in his hand.

"I'm glad to see you taking your new role so seriously." Moira smiled.

"Well, I have two men to make very proud. I plan to do just that." He replied. "I'll let you two get back to dinner, I have someone waiting for me."

"I hope you know her name, Oliver." Malcolm joked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, seeing as she's my girlfriend, yes, I do know her name." Oliver deadpanned.

"Are you two serious?" Moira asked, Oliver already aware of how his mother was thinking, and rolling his eyes as a result.

"Yes, mother, we're serious. As a matter of fact, I'm in love with her and no, she doesn't care about our money or the Queen name." He responded, giving his mother a serious look.

"Wow." Felicity whispered, in his ear, reminding him that she was listening in.  _Fuck!_ Felicity was listening in. He'd just accidently, over the comms, admitted that he was in love with her, without even thinking about it.  _That_ was going to be a fun conversation to have later.

"Well, as long as you're happy, I suppose. " She shrugged, half-heartedly.

"I am." Oliver nodded, surely. "She's waiting, so uh, I'm going to go. It was good seeing you. Malcolm, I'll see you for that lunch meeting to tomorrow."

"See you then, CEO Queen." The dark-haired man replied.

"Have a good night." Oliver smiled, before leaving. The somewhat mission had gone pretty much exactly as he expected. What he hadn't been expecting was to so easily be able to sneak up on Felicity.

 

 

" _Yes, mother, we're serious. As a matter of fact, I'm in love with her and no, she doesn't care about our money or the Queen name."_

Felicity eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That was the last thing she had expected to hear Oliver say. He didn't just  _love_ her— which let's face it, is already mind blowing enough— but he was  _in love with her_.

_Um, what?_

How long had he been in love with her for? Why didn't he tell her? Was he afraid that maybe she didn't love him back? Did she love him back?  _Holy shit!_ Her eyes grew wider at the very idea.  _Am I in love with Oliver?_ If she was being honest, she definitely had major trust issues when it came to men. Her father, Malcolm Merlyn, Cooper Seldon… Elijah McCannon who cut off her ponytail in the ninth grade because she was a "nerdy Jew".

Realistically, Felicity knew that Oliver wasn't like any of these guys. She definitely trusted him… but did she  _love_ him?

"Felicity?" she heard Oliver's gruff voice in her ear and behind her, making her jump. She swallowed and pulled the comm out of her ear, before turning to face him.

"Hey." She smiled, trying to act as normal as possible but feeling as though she was failing terribly.

"Look, about what I said in there—" he began.

"We'll talk about it to later, it's no big deal." She may have said a little too cheerfully.

"Felic—"

"Okay, so for now we just watch and listen. I doubt these two meet for dinner just to catch up." She murmured, switching her and one other comm to the same channel as the bug Oliver planted on his mother. One went into her ear and she handed the other to Oliver, then sat and turned her attention to the phone. He, following suit, brushing his words under the carpet for the time being.

How could he be so stupid? This is  _exactly_ what he had been talking to Diggle about earlier. He couldn't let them, her especially, be distracted by their feelings. And so, perhaps Felicity was right to not want to talk about it right now. They still needed to take Malcolm off the board and then deal with the fucking League of Assassins. He sat beside the blonde, focusing on the phone and popping the new comm device in his ear.

"— _and get that little blonde haired twat off of the board._ " Malcolm said.

" _Whom?"_ the Queen matriarch asked in retort.

" _Oliver's executive assistant. Felicity Smoak."_ Malcolm answered, pulling in all of Oliver's attention. He was going to kill Malcolm when he got his hands on him.

" _Oh, you mean the young woman who was digging into my business?"_

" _Yes_ —"

" _Malcolm, I'll admit that she's a pest, but I don't want her…_ killed."

" _Well, what do you suggest we do Moira?"_ Malcolm asked, getting slightly frustrated.  _"She knows too much already, do you really think she'll stop digging? And, let me not forget to mention that your son is infatuated with her."_

" _Oh please, Malcolm. I know my son, my Oliver wouldn't look twice at that woman."_ Felicity snorted, rolling her eyes.

" _You weren't there. I saw them, Moira, and from what I've heard, so has Isabel Rochev."_

" _Oh, Malcolm,_ please  _talk about something else. Anything else."_

" _Fine."_ The older man huffed. " _The machine is complete and ready to go."_ Moira choked slightly on her wine.

" _That was rather… fast."_ She replied _. "Are you positive that they work?"_

"It's _already been tested in Haiti, Honk Kong, and Colombia. They're good to go."_ He answered in a low, serious voice. " _Moira Queen, you and I will level the Glades in just a short forty-eight hours."_ Malcolm whispered, so low, the bug almost didn't pick it up."

"Holy… what the  _fuck_?" Felicity muttered. "We have to find those devices…Tempest!" she stood, turning to face Oliver, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

"What's Tempest?" he asked, standing too.

"I was looking into your mother and after I found out about the paternity thing, I kept digging and found this organization named Tempest. Your mother had been sending them money, at least two million dollars, but it was made to look like an investment. This is what Walter asked me to look into. Malcolm killed Walter because Walter confronted your mother about it." The blonde said all in one breath.

"Felicity. I need you to tell me  _everything_ you found out." Oliver said, nearly in his arrow voice. No, not because he was mad at Felicity, but because he couldn't believe that his mother was working with Malcolm with the intent to level the fucking Glades.

"Sure, let's go to my place, and we can talk and work out a plan. I can do some more work and figure out more about this device to level the glades."

 

 

**Flashback**

_Felicity sat inside the cell that Ra's left her in. She could hear the woman, who introduced herself as Nyssa, arguing with him, just outside the small room her cage was located in._

" _I've told you about this, Nyssa, too many times now!" he yelled._

" _Father, a group of despicable men beat her and left her to die! What was I to do?!"_

" _Nyssa—"_

" _Father. She stays. That's final."_

" _Nothing is final until I say so. I am—"_

" _Either that or I duel with Talia. I'm better than her father. You know what I will do to her."_

" _You wouldn't kill your sister."_

" _After how you played favoritism with us? You put her before me our entire lives and then you turned her into a monster—"_

" _Fine! She can stay but she training starting next week. She will be branded tonight and reborn. One step out of line and she will die by your sword since you brought her here."_

" _Deal."_

" _Nyssa. If she_ does  _step out of line, and you decide_ not  _to kill her, I will have her head myself… then I will have yours too."_

**End Flashback**

 

..

The moment Felicity made it through her bedroom window, she had her suit in a heap of black leather on the floor. Oliver had went through the front door since he wasn't suited up, she expected him to walk in shortly. Dressed in just a tiny, black thong, the blonde walked to her dresser, and pulled out a blue, loose-fitting MIT pullover and a black pair of pajama shorts, decorated in bright, yellow sunflowers. Oliver walked in, duffel bag on his shoulder and takeout bag in hand, just a Felicity pulled her shorts on.

"Dammit, I missed it." He growled with a shake of his head, moving to place his bag on the bench at the end of the bed.

"Don't worry, I'll give you a real show." She smiled, seductively, walking towards him, while starting to pull the sweatshirt back over her head.

"I don't mean to impose on your…  _activities,_ Haza Ansa." An all too familiar voice said. She pulled her shirt back down, as Oliver turned around, ready to attack. The blonde looked up to see none other than Ra's al Ghul walking into her bedroom. "I'm bored with waiting. You're a smart woman, and I don't doubt that you're trying to plan some way to weave your way out of this. Unfortunately, there is no way out of this. Either you can come back to the League and face a fear trial, or even that will very likely lead to you fighting for your life, or you can  _try_ to escape this. But I promise you, it will only end in your death, the death of your loved ones, and the death of your city. You  _know_ that I will burn Starling City to ashes. That being said, you have twenty-four hours to make your decision."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, sorry for the wait, but I'm very happy to be back. To be honest, my time management skills are horrifically poor right now, but I'm working on it! I'm also kind of rush planning my wedding, since my fiance and I decided to move it up to two weeks from yesterday. I'm excited and nervous and jittery and it's amazing!
> 
> That being said, I'm a little bit psyched to say that in the final week of June, I was given the great news that I am in remission! *inwardly squeals* Now, of course, this doesn't mean that I am cured. But that does mean that I get to take a break from chemo (THANK THE LORD) so long as the cancer doesn't grow or anything. Thank you to everyone who's still sticking around this story and of course, for all of the lovely, positive vibes!❤❤ you guys are absolutely amazing.
> 
> Much love, xoxo Chloe ❤❤


	17. A Long Night  (& then Some)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We follow Oliver and Felicity as their long night continues on from the previous chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been so incredibly long, that is unacceptable. Autumn has been a little bit on the rough sude, but I'm still here, and as I've promised before, I will NOT abandon my stories. That being said, I hope the following 7,000 words will have been worth the wait, I appreciate all of you who have stuck with my story(ies). Your support is always appreciated, as is you reviews, idea, thoughts, comments, criticisms, ideas, prompts, etc.

Felicity's brain was currently working on overdrive in a feeble attempt to devise a plan to take care of both Malcolm  _and_ Ra's. Oliver was talking to her and while she heard his voice, ( _barely),_  she couldn't hear him over the sound of her thoughts. She quickly put her phone down on the bed and head to the living room, aiming straight for her computer. There had to be information about these machines somewhere in her research. It wasn't long before the blonde vigilante's fingers were flying across the keyboard, and after a few minutes, pulling up information on an earthquake machine.

"The Markov device," Felicity began as Oliver walked up and sat in the chair next to hers, getting a closer look at what she was seeing, "created by none other than Dr. Brion Markov, himself."

"How do we find this thing? And who are the other doctors listed after Markov?" Oliver asked, studying the blueprint of a complex looking machine that Malcolm was planning to level the Glades with.

"Those are other scientists that worked on the device." She replied, looking over the names and taking note of them. Typing a simple command allowed her to tabs on the scientists until they found the Markov device. "As for finding the device…" the blonde trailed off, her brain working out pieces of the puzzle, as Oliver stood and head back to her room. Having an epiphany, she slid her hand behind the desk, grabbing the small brown journal, it's pages still blank. Oliver returned as she turned to face him, seeing that he had the same journal in his hand.

"Three of those names are on the list." He told her as he approached, his eyes landing on her hands noticing the replica. "Where did you get that?"

"What list?" she asked, puzzled as she showed him the blank pages, then gasped. "Oh! I bet it's some kind of invisible ink, what if it's  _another_ list? Oh, God, we can  _not_  afford to open up a can of worms like that right now.

"The list my father gave me when he told me to right his wrongs." Oliver answered. "Before he killed himself." His eyes flitted down, his arms down as his sides, as his left thumb and index finger rubbed together.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with that." Felicity replied sincerely, knowing that the scars that Oliver wore on his body had nothing on the demons he carried on the day-to-day basis. "The names on the list, these are all these shady corporate people you've gone after thus far, right?"

"Yes, and three of these names are on it. One being Markov." He answered, opening the book and showing her the page.

"So they've been planning this for at least a year. Did Malcolm or your mother seem weird to you before you left?" Felicity asked.

"I hadn't seen Malcolm for about a week by the time my father, Sara and I were leaving." Oliver answered, now noticing that fact as weird. "My mother seemed normal."

"Your mother paid someone to hide the Gambit. And the Gambit…" she began. "You weren't supposed to be on the Gambit. I bet Malcolm was targeting your father, you just became collateral damage."

"Wait. What do you—"

"I did a little more investigating, and saw the Gambit myself."

"Felicity, you could've gotten yourself killed."

"What was I supposed to do, ask you to come with me? Had we gotten caught—"

"I don't get caught." He deadpanned. "But apparently you do, meaning you could've used backup out there."

"First of all, it was  _one_  time." She argued, crossing her arms. "And I didn't need your help, Oliver. I can certainly handle myself, you must have forgotten how I've kicked your ass more than once now."

"Jesus, Felicity, Walter was killed less than 15 feet away from us for digging into this stuff."

"Which is exactly why I had to keep digging into it.  _Alone_." Oliver rubbed his temples, realistically he knew that she could take care of herself, for the most part, but listening to his mother and Malcolm discuss Felicity being killed had struck a nerve earlier that night. That being said, Ra's al Ghul's appearance didn't make it any better. The stress of everything going on was starting to wear on them. There was no need to argue right now, Oliver thought with a sigh.

"Felicity, look," he began, finally looking back at his girl, her face slightly crestfallen as she chewed on her lip. He walked up to her, placing a gentle hand on her waist as calloused fingers of the opposing brushed across her jaw line. "There's a lot going on right now. Tomorrow, no matter what happens, is going to be hellish. Maybe we should just step back for right now."

"What do you mean step back?" She asked, her blue eyes widening, as she pessimistically thought of him wanting to take a break so they could focus on the situations at hand.

"From everything." He smiled gently stepping back and taking her hand to lead her to the towards her bedroom. "We can go back to our crazy later, it's barely after eleven. For now, go unwind and take shower. I'll reheat dinner and have it ready when you come out."

"Okay," Felicity smiled, up at him, deciding that he was right. They needed to take a break and be clear headed if they were going to find the Markov device. Oliver slowly leaned down, his lips stopping a breath away from hers.

"And I'm sorry for snapping at you." He murmured, his nose brushing against hers.

"I'm sorry for snapping back." She whispered back, leaning up to grasp his lips in her own. He brought a loving hand into her hair, his fingers threading into golden strands as he pulled her face closer. Felicity's soft sigh pulled Oliver's tongue from between his lips like silk, his flavor running over her lips before she opened up to him.

She wasn't sure when it happened but he had her pressed against the wall, her fingers dancing beneath his button up shirt. They skimmed their way up to his top button, as his tongue ran across the roof of her mouth, making her shiver. He could feel her heat on his chest as she opened button after button. Oliver began pushing her pajama shorts down, his fingers feelings nothing but a tiny thong underneath, making him groan into her mouth.

He pulled back as Felicity stopped out of her shorts, cheeks flushed and lips swollen, looking as beautiful as ever. The words  _I love you_  rested at the tip of his tongue, desperate to dive out. His hands found the hem of her MIT sweatshirt and pulled it over her head. He couldn't help but take a look down at her perky, bare breast, and Oliver could feel the caveman in him coming out as he thought to himself that she was all his, and his alone.

Felicity noted the moment that his blue eyes went black, and he pressed her back against the wall, his lips attacking her neck, while taking one aggressive pull at her thong and ripping it clear off of her body. The blonde gasped, shuddering hotly at Oliver's primal aggression, and her hands opened his belt quicker than she ever opened anything in her life. He grabbed her legs just as she pulled his pants down, lifting her and pulling his cock out of his briefs.

Oliver's head finally left her neck, admiring his handiwork, while belting his left arm around Felicity's waist. His right hand slid between them, making sure she was ready for him and brushing across her clit a few times. He looked up at her beautiful blue, hooded eyes as she rocked against his hand, her wetness covering his fingers. He watched her lips as they silently molded the words,  _'fuck me'_ , and grew even harder. He lined himself up with her entrance, rubbing her cock against her clit first, then slipping inside with a groan.  _Fuck, she always felt so amazing_.

"This is going to be quick, baby." Oliver admitted, Felicity already nodding vigorously.

"We have all night." She murmured, pulling his lips back to hers as he began thrusting. Her nails began clawing at his scalp as she felt the pressure building low in her belly. Oliver, feeling her clench, knew that she was close, and slipped a hand back in between them, his calloused finger tips rubbing fast, tight, circles on her clit. "Oh, Oliver!" Felicity moaned aloud, her head falling back to lean against the wall, her teeth sunken into her bottom lip.

"Cum for me, baby." He growled into her ear, holding himself back from exploding until she came first. He groaned as he stopped circles, and pushed his middle finger alongside his cock and into the blonde's tight hole. His thumb picked up his ministrations on her clit, as he thrusted and curled his middle finger  _just_ right.

" _Fuck_! Oliver, yes!" she screamed, her impatient hips rocking against him as she came, drenching his hand and dick in everything she had.  _Thankful_ that she had finally come, Oliver slipped his finger out and let go, swearing in Russian as his head fell to Felicity's shoulder. Their bodies slowed to a stop as they panted, Oliver pulling back to look straight into her eyes.

"You don't have to say it back, now or, well ever, though I really do hope you do  _someday_  because that would kinda suck," he babbled, nervously, "I'm starting to sound like you." He chuckled. "What I'm trying to say is… I just want you to know that what I said earlier at Table Salt is true. I didn't know it would be possible for me after the island, but I love you, Felicity."

"I, uh— thank you." She whispered, wanting to tell him that she loved him too, but unable to allow the words to escape her lips. "Why don't you take a quick shower so you can get comfortable. I'll leave your bag on my bed and bring you a towel."

"Okay, I'll be five minutes." He replied, kissing her forehead and putting her down.

* * *

...

Felicity exited her bedroom, dressed in a bright yellow, silk camisole, with matching shorts. She head for the kitchen, still raking her fingers through her still damp hair. The news was playing on mute in the living room and Oliver, shirtless with grey sweats, placed a plate in front of her. Felicity licked her lips at the sight of grilled rosemary chicken with mushroom gravy, roasted red potatoes and asparagus. She smiled a bit knowing that there was yummy slice of red velvet cake waiting for her too. Oliver sat his own plate of steak, quinoa, and mixed vegetables across from her.

"I have a bottle of Pinot Blanc under the sink." She told him.

" _White_ wine?" he asked, while pulling the corkscrew from the kitchen drawer, then the bottle from underneath the sink. "That doesn't sound like you."

"Laurel insisted that I try it." Felicity shrugged, taking a bite of her chicken, as Oliver grabbed two glasses, and head back towards the bar. Oliver peeled of the wrapped before stabbing the cork with the screw and twisting. The bottle opened with a low pop, and he filled their glasses half way, setting one inches from the blonde's plate. "Thank you." She smiled, as Oliver's phone went off.

"Anything for you." He winked, unlocking the screen and then reading the message with a smile:  _'ur at HER house now aren't you?!'_. He hadn't gotten a chance to respond when another message came through:  _'u r sooo not smiling more and being home less because ur working, you liar! WHO TF IS THE GIRL, OLLIE?! I WANNA EFFING MEET HER ALREADY'._

"What's so funny?" Felicity smiled, her heart warmed at the sight of Oliver looking so relaxed.

"My sister, Thea, knows I'm seeing someone." Oliver explained, showing Felicity the messages. "Speedy is great, you'll love her."

"I bet I would." She replied honestly, before frowning slightly. "Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I think we need to address the elephant in the room."

"And which elephant might that be, Felicity?" he asked.

"The Ra's shaped elephant. " She answered. "If-slash-when it comes down to it, I'm go to challenge him to a duel, Oliver. It's that or I go there and face trial, and while that will definitely get me killed, it may get Sara, and even Nyssa, killed too. I'm not going down without a fight." She told him. Oliver sat silent for a long while, chewing a piece of steak, but not really tasting it, as he mulled over her words.

"Okay."

"Okay?" she asked.

"I know that there's nothing that I can say to stop you… so, okay." He clarified.

"Okay." Felicity nodded in agreement. "Thank you for understanding."

"I'd do the same thing." He admitted. They finished dinner while making light conversation, careful not to stray into dark topics. Felicity cleaned their plates as Oliver pulled out dessert: a slice of key lime pie for him and red velvet cake for her. She walked back to the island with still wet hands and handed Oliver a clean fork, placing one on the counter for herself. He expected her to sit, but instead she grabbed her tablet and both journals from the living room before doing so.

"We only have 24 hours." Felicity stated, placing the items on the counter between them. "Our current advantages are that they don't know that we know about the device, and it's not set to go down until about 46 hours from now. We just need to find the machine and shut it down."

"In the meantime, if there's nothing else for right now," he began, standing and walking around the breakfast bar, to pull the blonde from her seat. His hands landed on her waist as he pulled her close.

"Mmm, Mr. Queen." She murmured, pulling his head down for a brief kiss. Oliver's lips moved down to her neck, while guiding her to the sofa and his hand into her shorts. "Ahh," she moaned softly, holding his head in place at  _just_ the right spot on her neck. He lifted her by her thighs, her legs wrapping around his waist. Felicity's eyes just barely caught view of the TV, seeing the headline on the news:  _Scientist Dr. Bentley Novah Murdered by the Hood Copycat_ "No!" she called out, as Oliver was about to sit with her astride him. She scrambled down off of him, grabbing the remote and turning up the TV.

"He's killing the scientists now." Oliver stated, staring at the screen. "He's tying up loose ends, before he sets off the device."

"But I don't understand." Felicity responded. "Why do it now? Why not wait until just before he sets it off?"

"What are you thinking?" Oliver asked as the pair stood side by side watching the news.

"I'm thinking that something about this is rather messy for Malcolm." She answered. " _Or_ we're missing a piece of the puzzle. What if he changed his mind and decided to do it earlier?" Oliver remained silent for a moment, weighing her words and their options.

"Let's go." He replied, heading to her room to retrieve his duffel bag.

"Where are we going?" she asked, following.

"To put the fear of God into my mother."

* * *

...

They were a long way from their motorcycles, considering that they surely couldn't ride through the gate and straight up to the Queen Mansion. Thankfully, Oliver knew a route that he used to sneak out in his teenage years, just 11 minutes exact from the car to the back door. Arrow and Clover stealthily walked up to the back door, armed with their bows. He knew that Raisa had gone home by now, and Thea was out with her boyfriend, Roy.

He used his own key to unlock the door, leading his fellow vigilante through the kitchen and to the main hall. He signaled to Clover to stay silent, closing his eyes for a moment and using a skilled that he had acquired on the island. He could hear faint movement not far away, and he could bet that his mother was in her study, just past the living room. Arrow nodded his head in the direction as Clover nocked an arrow in her bow. He did the same before leading her past the living room and right outside of the door of the study.

He paused momentarily to listen, hearing the faint sound of a glass tumbler set down on the mahogany of her desk. Clover nudged him, with batting lashes. Already knowing what she wanted, he shook his head with a faint smile and stepped aside, allowing her to do the honors. Clover nodded her gratitude before back up just a bit, and forcefully kicking the door open. Moira jumped so hard that her glass shattered on the floor.

"Dammit!" she yelled, standing, and patting the wet spot on her skirt with a handkerchief from her desk. She was dressed still in her clothes from dinner, minus her coat. The two vigilantes stepped into her office, an arrow nocked each. "What is the meaning of this?" an irritated Moira questioned, hands on her hips, looking between the pair.

"Moira Queen—" Arrow began.

"You have failed this city!" Clover intercepted, a little too cheerfully. She'd been wanting to do this for far too long. She glanced over at him seeing him already watching her with a raised brow. "Sorry… I just always wanted to say it." She shrugged, seeing the faintest tug of a smirk.

"Where is the Markov device?" Arrow ground out, his modulator making him sound even more intimidating. Moira pulled a face of confusion.

"The  _what_ device?" she asked, feigning naiveté. Clover huffed before stepping closer, her arrow pointed at Moira head from across the desk.

"Mrs. Queen, I beg of you,  _please_ do not fuck with me." Her modulated voice said as she stared Moira straight in the eye. "We  _literally_ do  _not_ have time for this shit. Okay? Now, where are you and Malcolm Merlyn keeping the Markov device."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The matriarch continued with a shrug. Arrow stepped closer, his arrow still nocked.

"We know  _exactly_ what you two are planning. Tell us where. It. Is." He growled. Moira sighed, with a small shake of her head.

"I don't know what—" she began, halting when one of Clover's arrows whizzed past her ear and pierced into the wall behind her.

"Do you think this is a joke?!" Clover yelled, getting beyond irritated with this woman. "Oh, Moira, please keep fucking with me and I will make sure your children are sitting right in the middle of the fucking Glades when that shit goes off. Last chance. Where's the earthquake machine?" Moira, her face stark white, dropped her shoulders.

"Okay." She replied seriously, her hand up in surrender. "It's already in place. Malcolm text me a picture of it, but I don't know where it is. My phone is right here in the drawer, just let me grab it for you." Clover cooked her head at the Queen matriarch, before pursing her lips and looking at Arrow. He stared at his mother for a long moment before a short nod. Clover walked closer to Moira, coming around the desk to stand beside her.

"Open it." She demanded once they were standing side-by-side, while nocking a new arrow. Moira slowly pulled the drawer halfway before yanking it fully and swiftly pulling a gun on Arrow. "Do you really wanna take your chances against two vigilantes, or did you forget that you gave two arrows pointing at you? I'm sure you'd prefer to walk away from this as unscathed as possible."

"You want to know where it is, you ask Malcolm." Moira replied, firing a shot just as Clover elbowed the side of her face. Seeing Arrow get up from the floor, blood leaking from his shoulder, Clover looked in the same drawer that Moira pulled the gun from, grabbing the cellphone and tucking it into her waistband, while making a mental note to ask Cisco to add a few pockets.

"Duck!" Arrow yelled as a shot rang out, Clover ducking just in time for bullet to miss her head.

"Damn, Queen, nice aim." The femme vigilante laughed, seeing Arrow gesturing towards the door, after disarming his mother. Moira scrambled towards her desk as Clover ran for the exit, hearing an alarm ring the manor.

...

"SCPD will be here in four minutes, personal security in two." He told her as they ran through the back door, heading down the same path they came. Clover looked over at him as they sprinted, making a quick assessment of his wound. Arrow noticing g this, touched it out, not wanting her to worry. Instead he pulled on her competitive ways, smirking at her the running faster. He glanced back, seeing her brows raised and head cocked, before she boosted her speed, catching up and passing him easily. They went on like that, neck and neck, Clover gaining the advantage when it was time to leap and grab the top of the fence. Hanging from the top she looked down at him, then behind them, seeing flashlights in the distance.

"Need a boost?" she asked, right before Arrow leapt, latching on to the top of the fence only using one hand, as not to hurt his bad shoulder more. Clover pulled herself up, flinging her left leg over the flat top of the gate. Feeling rather uncomfortable on the cold, hard metal, she leaned over, offering Arrow her hand. "C'mon." She told him, as she glanced back out in the trees. The flashlights were much closer. "Oliver. Come. On." She growled as he continued pulling himself up enough to grab her hand with his bad shoulder. She helped pull him up until he was inside the same position that she was, the flashlights only feet away at this point.

They simultaneously dropped to the opposite side of the gate, running to their bikes with no hesitation to hop on. As they rode down the street, Felicity took a moment to glance at Oliver, quickly able to tell that he was gritting his teeth at the pressure on his shoulder. Regardless, she knew that he would be macho about it and pretend it didn't hurt when she patched it up.

* * *

...

The ride to Verdant wasn't a long one, and the pair parked in the back alley, before heading through the door and down the stairs. The first thing Felicity did after taking off her mask, was plug Moira's phone into the computer and run an algorithm to download all text messages, photos and anything with keywords having to do with the matter at hand. She pulled off her wig, setting it on the desk and pulling the low bun from her hair. She turned to face Oliver who was already shirtless. Nothing but leather pants, combat boots, and the black makeup around his eyes.

"We must look like the cutest pair of pandas." Felicity smiled as she approached him, taking his hand and leading him to the med bay.

"You'd be the cutest panda ever." He murmured, stopping her once they'd reached her destination. He spun her around to face him, hands on her hips as he pulled her close, brushing his lips over hers.

"Mmm, so affectionate tonight." she murmured against his lips.

"It stirred something in me, seeing you talk to my mother that way." He replied, pecking her lips and sliding his hands down to her butt.

"Let me patch you up, babe." Felicity said, between kisses. "Then we can go upstairs and get a drink, maybe dance a little."

"I don't dance." Oliver responded with a smirk as Felicity pushed him to sit on the cot.

"Well, you're dancing tonight, Queen." She smiled as she placed various medical items on the cart, then moving to stand between his legs.

"We'll see." He ground out as she removed the bullet from his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm counting on it Mr. Queen." She smirked, putting pressure on his wound with an alcohol soaked gauze. "As a matter of fact, dance with me tonight and I'll be sure to finish what I started earlier tonight." The blonde put down the gauze, her hands sliding down his bare chest, down to the seamless hem of his leather pants.

"I'll do whatever you want for you to finish what you started." He murmured as her fuchsia lips landed on his neck, kissing and nipping along the surface. " _Fuck_." He murmured, growling in her ear when he felt her cold fingers slide into his pants, fondling him in the most painfully delicious way. His hands gently squeezed her waist, with a sharp intake of breath, before they heard the door open.

"Oliver? Felicity?" Diggle's voice called as he head down the stairs. Felicity quickly popped her head up, sliding her hand out of Oliver's pants. He readjusted himself quickly, feeling annoyed by them being interrupted for the third time that night.

"Med bay!" she called, seeing her  _kinda_  friend, (who seemed like he  _kinda_  didn't 100% trust her, but liked her okay), head in their direction. And do his arms get bigger every time she sees him?

"Seems that way doesn't it?" Oliver chuckled, with a light shake of his head. Felicity smirked, blushing slightly.

"I… I didn't mean to say that out loud." She giggled, a bit embarrassed. "It's just, those things are like tree trunks. I feel bad for the man John Diggle puts in a chokehold. Bye-bye esophagus." Oliver full on laughed, Diggle chuckling behind him, having caught the last bit of what she'd said.

"So, what happened here? You shot him again?" Diggle asked, jokingly.

"To be fair, when I did shoot him, it was because he shot me first." The blonde retorted. "Mind you, I had just saved his life, and he wasn't even going to thank me."

"I—just…" Oliver began, trying to find a justification, as Felicity began stitching the gun shot lesion. . "I just don't like having things that I… can't be in control of. I didn't know anything about you, so it felt too risky to have another vigilante running around. I think I was hoping to run you out of town." She pursed her lips, nodding and accepting his answer.

"Well aren't you glad I'm persistent? " she asked, somewhat jokingly.

"So glad." He smiled, staring at her as her blinding smile warmed his heart. He wanted to remind her that he loves her, but he was sure the look on his face said it all. He chuckled lightly as the pinkish blush covers her cheeks, then her neck and chest.

"Stop looking at me like that." She whispered, glancing at Diggle for just a moment, then back down at the needle in her hand. She took a light breath and continued stitching.

"Looking at you like what, baby?" he murmured.

"You know." She shrugged, her eyes flicking to Oliver's, as his words earlier tonight rang in her head.  _I love you._

"I'm just admiring what's mine." He shrugged with his good shoulder. "You're just beautiful, that's all." He couldn't help but smile at the sight of her once pink blush turning red. Felicity quickly layered new gauze over the fresh stitches, taping it down before admiring her work.

"Okay, well, I'm done here Panda Queen, I'm gonna shower and change, then we can head upstairs." She spoke quickly, making a beeline for the bathroom.

"I'll meet you in there!" Oliver called after her.

"Oh, no you wont!" she called back,, the door clicking locked after she entered.

"We're going upstairs for a couple of drinks before we go home." Oliver told Diggle, who was staring at him in awe. "Come with us, so we can catch you up on everything that happened tonight.

"Uh, yeah, man, sure thing." Diggle nodded, before gesturing to the stitched up wound. "Speaking of which, what happened?"

"We paid my mother a visit and she shot me… again." Oliver replied with a roll of his eyes, slowly backing up just a few steps towards the bathroom where a naked Felicity awaited under steamy, hot water. "Oh, and I told her that I love her."

"Your mother?" Digg inquired, confused.

"Felicity." Oliver clarified, Diggle started eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"I'm proud of you, man. She's good for you." He commended.

"Thank you, she's the best part of me." Oliver beamed, bright eyed. "And speaking of which, I'll meet you upstairs in 10. I have…  _business_ to tend to."

"Do your thing, man." His best friend nodded, stunned by the turn around he was seeing in his friend. "I'll meet you upstairs." Oliver head towards the bathroom as Diggle went back up the stairs.

 _Now, little does Miss Smoak know, a locked door was_ not  _about to stop him from finishing what they'd started._

* * *

...

Felicity woke up first the next morning, under the realization that time was dwindling down. They needed to find the Markov device and fast. Moira's phone had been a bust, and so Felicity had to rely on her detective skills to get to the bottom of this one. She snuck her naked body out of bed, pulling on Oliver's discarded black t-shirt from the night before and a fresh paint of panties. It wasn't long before the coffee maker was doing good its thing, and she was sitting in front of her monitor with a piping hot cup of liquid caffeine.

It was after nine when Oliver woke, padding into the living room in nothing but his briefs. Felicity glanced at him, and then the time, noting that she'd been working away for the last three hours to practically no avail. The only new information that she had was that the rest of the scientists had been killed. She grabbed her mug, ready for a few more sips of liquid gold to find that it was empty… again. To be honest, she wasn't sure how many cups she'd had, but one look at the coffee pot told her it was empty.

"Have you eaten anything? " He asked after following her eyes with his own.

"I suppose red vines wouldn't count, right?" the blonde asked innocently.

"Fe-li-ci-ty." Oliver lightly scolded, heading towards her fridge, and opening it. "Of course. You never buy groceries."

"Nah, that's Laurel's job." Felicity explained. "She buys groceries to cook for me a couple times a week, and I help get her evidence for her cases. It a win-win, really." Oliver smirked and shook his head at her.

"I don't suppose you have any take out menus that serve breakfast? " He asked, while pulling two glasses from the cabinet and filling them with cold water from the gallon in fridge.

"I do actually do." She replied, standing from her chair and stretching. She sauntered up to him, as he set their glasses on the counter. His arms encircled her immediately, pulling her close.

"You are absolutely stunning in the morning." He murmured, in awe of her beauty as he took her in. Her blonde hair was a mess of curly waves from their actions the night before. Her face was void of makeup and glasses, and she was wearing his shirt.

Oh, she was wearing  _the hell_ out of his shirt.

Felicity giggled, blush coming to her cheeks, as Oliver slid his hands down her sides. His hands reached the hem of her shirt and his hands dance around to the backs of her thighs. His palms flattened, drifting upwards to squeeze her ass, as he lowered his lips down to while. Her fingers automatically found their home in his hair, tugging him as close as she could and she tasted and explored his mouth.

Felicity's nails dragged down the front of his chest landing at his briefs and pushing them down as she directed him to lead against the breakfast bar. With a sultry look in her eyes, the determined blonde slid down as she pushed his briefs to his ankles. She pulled a stool close to sit on, for the sake of their heights, and stroked him a few times, before letting her hot, wet mouth surround him.

"Jesus, Felicity." He moaned, his hands slipping into her hair, not guiding her but more resting in her tresses. He opened his eyes, seeing piercing blue eyes locked onto his. Her mouth continued chasing her hand in an up and down motion, her tongue occasionally swirling around his head. Noticing that he was  _trying_ to stay still, Felicity used her free hand to grab his ass, urging him to thrust.

Oliver started slow, as her left hand stayed latched to his ass, the right hand slipping a bit further south to fondle his balls. " _Fuck._ " He growled, eyes rolling back as he felt his head hitting the back of her throat. He wasn't going to last long, but he was desperate to be inside of her. It took him less than five seconds to pull away from the blonde, hands grabbing her waist and spinning them to sit her on the counter top. He lifted her again just slightly so that she could pull her panties down over her butt. He sat her back on the counter, pulling them the rest of the way off in record time.

Felicity began rubbing her self a bit, knowing that she was already wet, and lunged forward, catching his lips with hers. Oliver continued kissing her, guiding her to lay back, his t-shirt bunched up at her waist. She looked like an angel, panting with her cheeks flushed, and golden hair fanned out across the granite counter top, like a halo. He pulled back, raising her legs with gentle caresses, as he watched her continue to touch herself. He bent her legs, so that the backs of her knees met perpendicular to the creases of his elbows. She leaned up on her elbow, grabbing him and leading him inside of her.

"Oh,  _God,"_ she breathed as he slipped inside, a groan leaving his lips. Oliver's thrusts began at a slow pace, but Felicity wasn't having it, rocking her hips with a moan of, " _please faster"_. He followed her command her hips snapping against her as he felt balls tighten. He guided her legs to wrap around his waist, one palm landing flat beside her head as her rubbed quick circles on her clit. Their moans and breaths mixed, filling her apartment with a sweet music that was nothing but theirs. Oliver released with a growl, just seconds before Felicity, his rhythm slipping as he filled her with everything he had. He slowed to a stop as she pulled him down for a kiss, pouring her love for him into it.

Hoping that he'd felt it, because she'd yet to have the courage to say it back out loud.

* * *

...

After a kiss from Oliver, Felicity practically ran to her car when she was done at work. He had made it a short day in hopes of giving them more time to find the device before Ra's returned. Not that it made a difference, because between actual work, Felicity had been using her time at the office wisely. Oliver was going to stop by the manor to see his sister and Raisa, considering he hadn't been home for a while.

The pair met back at the bunker two hours later, leaving them with four hours to find the device. Oliver was on the salmon ladder, while Felicity tried her absolute best to ignore him, because  _fuck, was he hot on the salmon ladder_. Diggle turned to Felicity, with brows raised, her pink lips forming into an 'o' before she snapped them shut and shrugged. An hour later, Felicity stood, stretching. Oliver was pacing and she could tell he was getting just as frustrated as she was. She came up behind him, sliding her arms sound his waist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hey," she whispered behind him.

"Hey yourself." He mumbled back, feeling slightly relaxed by her touch.

"I'm going to find it. Okay?" she told him, reassuringly.

"I have nothing but faith in you, baby." He replied, turning to hold her in his arms. She leaned up in her toes, pressing her lips to his.

"I'll get back to work." She told him, about to go back to her seat.

"Maybe I can steal five minutes of your time." Oliver whispered. "Give you a little stress relief before you jump back in, I  _am_ quite famished." Felicity swallowed, immediately catching his offer, and frankly his head between her legs sounded pretty incredible at the moment.

"Make it three?" she asked.

"Oh, you know I can." He responded huskily, glancing up at Diggle, who was on the phone at the moment. "Come on, " He smirked, leading her to the bathroom. The pair reemerged 10 minutes later, Oliver's hunger sated and Felicity feeling completely refreshed. Digg looked at them with a knowing look on his face, and the blonde blushed, heading for the computers. She started brainstorming before her brows furrowed and she turned to ask Oliver for his journal. He handed it to her and she began flipping through it, staring at the symbol inside of it.

Then it clicked.

"I got something!" Felicity called, standing from her seat as Diggle and Oliver came to see what she was looking at. "This" she said, showing them the symbol inside of the journal.

"What about it?" Diggle asked, Oliver wondering the same thing.

"It's a map of the old subway tunnel system." She replied, showing them the map on her tablet.

"Meaning what exactly?" Oliver questioned.

"Lets say you had a machine that could trigger an earthquake in an otherwise geologically stable area, where would you position it?" Felicity asked him, and eyebrow raised, waiting for the obvious answer.

"It's underground." he murmured.

"This is a U.S. geological survey of the tectonic plates running underneath Starling and this red line here is a known fault that runs right below the Glades for about a mile." She explained. "It runs underneath the old Tenth Street subway line. I can just about guarantee you that it's somewhere along that line." She finished.

"And I know where it is." Oliver replied as his phone started ringing in his pocket. He glanced at the screen before answering. "Hey Speedy, it's uh, not a good time right now."

" _You think?"_ Thearetorted.  _"Ollie, there is a literal_ shit ton  _of reporters here. Mom called them. She holding a some kind of impromptu press conference in the living room."_

"What?" Oliver gritted out. "Thea, what channel?"

" _Your pick."_ She replied.

"Felicity, turn on the local news, please." He asked through gritted teeth, bracing himself for what he was about to see. A few swipes and clicks on her tablet, and Felicity had the news playing on her TV.

* * *

**At the Queen Manor**

Lights flashed dramatically, as Thea shoved her way through the press, trying to catch sight of her mother.  _What the hell was going on?_ The short brunette huffed in annoyance when she realized that she was about as close up as she was going to get, which was about smack in the middle of the crowd.

"My name is Moira Queen." The Queen matriarch began, as he she stood tall, looking straight out into the cameras. And God forgive me, I have failed the city." She paused, catching a glimpse of her daughter in the crowd, and purposefully omitting the young girl's eyes. How could she possibly look Thea in the eye while confessing this? "For the past six years, under the threat for my life and the lives of my family... I have been complicit in an undertaking with one horrible purpose: to destroy the Glades and  _everyone_  in it. I now realize that my family's safety will mean nothing if I allow this dreadful act to occur."

She paused, taking a deep breath before the next confession. He couldn't get to her in jail right? "But you need to know that the architect of this nightmare... is Malcolm Merlyn!" loud whispers and questions wove throughout the journalists. "Yes, and I have proof that he has killed  _dozens_  in pursuit of this madness. Adam Hunt, Frank Chen, my second husband, Walter Steele, and my first... Robert. Please. If you reside in the Glades, you need to get out,  _now_. Your lives and the lives of your children depend on it. Please." The head of the household stepped down from her short podium, bristling past the reporters and stopping at her daughter.

"Mom, I… I don't understand." Thea began. "How could you?"

"I'm so sorry, baby." Moira replied, moving to cup her daughter's face. Her daughter who was _not_  having it. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love Roy." Thea ground out through clenched teeth, tears threatening to spill over.

"Who's Roy?" her mother asked, surprised.

"He lives in the Glades!" she yelled, wiping fallen tears as she turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Moira asked.

"Moira Queen." One of the two approaching cops said, while pulling out handcuffs. "You're under arrest for conspiracy.

"I can't leave him there!" Thea called, as she grabbed a jacket and her keys on the way out.

She needed to save Roy before it was too late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, there's about 2 chapters and anot epilogue left before we move to the sequel!


End file.
